Disciples of the Keyblade
by The Genius Mage
Summary: For Dani-Chan, a semi-connected oneshot series. The training of Ventus, Aqua, and Terra under Master Eraqus's watchful eye. Twenty: Ven had never heard the drums of war before.
1. Demonstration

_~*.*Disciples of the Keyblade*.*~_

**Title: **_Demonstration_

**Rating: **T

**Warnings: **Violence, small amounts of blood

**Characters: **Master Eraqus, Ventus, Aqua, Terra

**Summary:** Ven gets a little…worried for Aqua, even though the "battle" with Terra is only an exhibition. It seems they both get carried away. Pre-BBS.

~***~

The Land of Departure was home to Master Eraqus—a stern faced man with graying black hair—and his three apprentices, Ventus, Aqua, and Terra.

Ventus was the youngest apprentice, maybe fifteen or sixteen, with windswept spiky golden hair and shining blue eyes. Excitable, friendly, enthusiastic, he carried all of the right attributes for a young protégé of the Keyblade, and Eraqus thought he was coming along well, though he would sometimes remark with a tinge of humor that his curiosity would be the death of him.

Aqua was almost the same age as Terra, that is, she was seventeen or eighteen. It embarrassed their master somewhat that he didn't know his precious apprentices' ages, but he doubted they cared. She was a smart, level headed girl with light cerulean hair and matching eyes. She was quite possibly Eraqus's best and brightest, always reliable. Her word was her bond, she would sometimes say.

Then there was Terra, an apprentice a little older than Aqua. A strong young man with untidy dark brown hair and the same azure eyes as the others—though a shade deeper. Despite the fact that he acted calm and collected constantly, beneath the shield was a strong willed person willing to fight for his friends. He and Ventus had a particularly close bond, for Ven had saved his life once before from a rather unfortunate accident neither liked to discuss.

The Land of Departure was a crisscrossing mass of grassy mountains surrounded by flowing water, complete with fields and plains spacious enough to accommodate even the wildest of fighters. The castle that existed there—an elegant structure of white and gold that thinned into a slender spire at the bottom—was connected to two mountain peaks by a pair of long yellow chains. Strange as it was, it was home, and the Keyblade Disciples wouldn't have it any other way.

The sun had long ago risen, in fact it was almost near the very tip of a mountaintop, and Ventus reasoned that it was closer to the afternoon than to the morning. He observed the clear blue sky with its forever traveling glowing occupant until his master gained his attention with a brisk finger snap.

"Ventus, look here." Eraqus commanded, though not unkindly.

Jolted back into reality, the boy turned his head back to his master with an apologetic smile. "Sorry, Master Eraqus."

They were sitting cross-legged on a small slope with a flat top, surrounded by jade fields on all sides. Behind Eraqus's shoulder, Ventus spotted Aqua practicing her Ice Blast technique on a small tributary that gurgled out of the rocks. Behind him, the youngest protégé also heard Terra gathering his strength to strike a tattered training dummy, his Keyblade colliding loudly with the thick wooden pole, almost snapping it.

"You've been listening closely to my instructions, haven't you?" Eraqus inquired, resting his chin on his hand, sharp eyebrows meeting in a V.

Ventus nodded quickly. "I have to keep my calm and reach inside for my light, right?"

Everyone that wielded a Keyblade had magic of some sort, and each style was unique, even if the element was the same. Those closely aligned with the light had the benefit of special effects adding themselves to the "Elemental" magic. Ven's specific element was wind, or _aero_, the official name for its power. It was one thing to reach for the regular elements—fire, earth, air, water, etc—it was quite another to search oneself for the elusive light. Its counterpart, darkness, could be summoned. The light had to be found, one of the key differences between the two.

"Can you? During the heat of battle, can you relax your heart and mind enough to bring your light forward?" His master challenged. "I want you to practice finding that place inside yourself, and when you can call on it instantaneously without a second's pause _out_ of combat, we'll try _in_ combat." Rising, Eraqus clapped his hands together. "Terra, Aqua, come here!"

Aqua stopped mid-spell, causing her ice to falter out in a small whirlwind of snowy particles. She turned quickly and sprinted across the field, more athletic than Terra, arriving before him despite the fact that he had been closer. Terra had to interrupt his attack during a swing, almost causing him to lose his balance. The boy strode over at a slower pace than Aqua's run, and they both bowed respectfully.

"Master Eraqus," they recited together.

Eraqus seemed to be thinking, looking from Aqua to Terra as Ventus watched. A breeze caught the hem of his white robe, causing it to flutter to the left. The same happened with Terra's tan cloak and Aqua's blue. At last he said, "Aqua, Terra, I want you two to fight one another."

Ventus stared. _Why would he make them fight?_

Aqua's hesitation was brief, and she opened her mouth for a heartbeat before closing it again.

"I see the question on your lips. Speak. Don't be afraid to tell me your opinions." Eraqus instructed her calmly.

She inclined her head in a respectful gesture. "Master, why are we fighting? We're practicing, but for what?"

Their master pointed to the crest of the small hill Ventus was on. "Ventus has just begun to learn how to find his light. I want you two to show him the effects of light being found…" Oddly, he seemed to look straight at Terra with an expression of expectancy. "I think it will be good practice for you both. Soften your blows, lest I have to go and heal broken limbs."

Terra dipped his head. "Yes, Master Eraqus." He muttered.

"Ventus," Eraqus turned to the youngest apprentice. "While you watch, I want you to try and find your light. It's inside you; you simply have to call it out."

"What's it feel like? Why's it better than the darkness? Can I do other things with it?"

"A million questions all the time," his master sighed with a slight smile. "You'll know it when you find it, and we'll discuss its other components later." Eraqus stepped back, apparently satisfied, as Terra and Aqua began circling one another.

A few seconds had only passed—the two young Keyblade novices had yet to attack—when Eraqus suddenly turned his head. "I've forgotten something," he muttered, and only Ventus could hear him. "Terra, Aqua, Ventus!" He said in a louder tone. "I must return to our home briefly, but I will be back very soon. Commence with the training, however. It is imperative that Ventus sees what the fruits of his labor will bring."

The apprentices nodded and chorused, "Master."

Eraqus quickly set off down the path, and it was only after his dark haired form had vanished below the ridge that the two older trainees faced one another once more.

Ventus wasn't exactly sure who to root for. A sudden pang distracted his "inner search for light". Would Aqua be able to hold her own against Terra? The teen looked so strong and burly beside the girl's slimmer figure…He had seen her fight before, but Terra had a certain _ferocity _to his attacks that seemed almost feral.

"Terra, don't go too hard on Aqua!" Ventus shouted.

Terra snorted with laughter and apparently Aqua mistook Ventus's worry for scorn at her fighting abilities. She rarely showed signs of anger, but neither of the boys missed the faint way her lip curled as she replied testily, "I can take care of myself, Ven!"

Terra winked. "Of course you can," he teased with a smile to lighten his words. "I'll be sure not to get dirt on your pretty little—"

Instantly, so fast that Ventus barely registered it, Aqua flashed across the five foot space between her and Terra, bringing her glimmering Keyblade down in a wide arc. He saw her purposely slow the blow right before it collided with the boy's chest, but it still knocked the wind out of him.

Stumbling back, Terra brought his Keyblade up in time to block another hit, and suddenly he and Aqua were at it. They slashed and banged their weapons together, creating a shower of tawny sparks. Leaping lithely backwards, Aqua prowled with the sinewy grace of a cat, her slim form weaving around Terra's as she avoided attack after attack.

But this meant she couldn't hit him; as she was too busy trying to avoid his assault. They danced their way across the field gradually, until Aqua froze the earth at Terra's feet with an unexpected blast of snow. He dug his metal shoes into the ground, lips pulled back in a snarl, eyes glinting with the love of a challenge. He performed a complicated series of twists and lunges designed to confuse Aqua, then he proceeded into a slower rhythm that threw all of his strength into every swing. Aqua's arm slipped, lowering her guard, and he sped up once more, clipping her shoulder and sending her reeling to the side.

Ventus was too busy watching to search for his light, and he realized there would be no way for him to master the dual focus needed if he didn't even try. Instead of reaching for the glowing blue flow of magic he sensed within, the boy starting looking in the obscure corners of his mind for the subtle "light" that he would know instinctively, or so his Master said.

Meanwhile, Aqua's left shoulder appeared to be giving her trouble. She kept that arm still and instead pressed against Terra's defenses. Crackling bolts of lightning soared down from the heavens and struck in three separate locations all around Terra, though only one actually made contact, and even then it was a glancing blow. Obviously she wasn't aiming perfectly for him, not seeking to injure her friend.

Terra was distracted by the bright glowing substance, and as Ven watched, she called something from within herself. Aqua straightened and jumped into the air, pointing her quivering Keyblade at her foe. Light gathered on the end, all seven colors of the rainbow, and Terra met her gaze with wide eyes as he saw what was happening.

Only three of the seven glowing strands of translucent light struck him, but it was enough to cause the boy to lose balance and land on his back. Jumping again to his feet in a flash, eyes narrowed to slits as Ventus cheered Aqua's name, Terra seemed to draw strength from somewhere deep inside, breathing hard and fast.

A purplish energy winded around his weapon, and with a guttural cry he struck Aqua so hard that she flew a full three feet backwards. She landed roughly, gasping, and Ventus's eyes widened as he saw what might have been blood spreading across a gash on her chest and stomach.

"Terra, hey!" Ventus called in warning.

Terra ignored him, swinging his Keyblade again as he met Aqua's assault. The girl seemed irritated, but Ventus noticed that she was still holding back. His search for light forgotten, the boy slipped down the hill to land at its base, getting within four feet of his friends. "Guys! Hey!"

Aqua paused briefly as she heard, but Terra starting striking once more, pressing the attack, and she was forced to defend. Her blows became harder and harder, and once something even cracked in Terra's side as she slammed her Keyblade against his ribcage, but he still showed no signs of stopping.

"What…it's only a practice…?" Ventus bit his lip, unsure what to do, watching his friends fighting with a fierceness that startled him. Mainly it was Terra, but every now and then Aqua countered a little more roughly than necessary. Bursts of light sprouted from Terra's weapon at one point, and Aqua countered with the rainbow bands that engulfed the substance like ethereal snakes.

"Hey, guys…Everyone…" Anger built up inside of him. "_Stop!_" He clenched his fists, growling the word out.

Aqua hesitated, and that caused her to become vulnerable to Terra's attack. Ven found his feet moving surprisingly fast, faster than he ever had before, and he deflected the weapon with his own Keyblade. Aqua pushed him aside gently, flicking her own Keyblade and disarming their wild eyed friend.

"What were you _doing_?" Aqua demanded, placing her hands on her hips. She was breathing hard, and the gash had opened a little wider, staining her clothes.

Terra seemed to shake himself, like he was waking from a dream. "I don't know…I mean, I…I got carried away." He looked thoroughly ashamed, and he surprised them both by bowing low to Aqua. "I…sorry."

Aqua heaved a sigh, causing her hair to ruffle. "It's nothing," she tried to say, but she couldn't help a gasp as the wound on her side burned. Terra rubbed at his ribs, and Ventus wondered if one of the bones were broken, or cracked.

"I thought so."

All three turned as fast as they could to see Master Eraqus studying them from the side of a mountain, balancing on a small spire of stone. He leaped down deftly and strode toward them, frowning, his face like a thunder cloud. "It was exactly as I believed."

They quickly assembled in a line and lowered their heads, feeling terrible.

Eraqus scolded, "Ventus, I told you to meditate to find your light. Aqua and Terra, I don't you _don't overdo it._ What's that? Is that a cracked rib? And that? That's a nasty slash." Ventus had never seen him so furious, but it was a calm, _cold_ kind of fury.

Aqua mumbled, "I'm sorry Master. It's my entire fault, I overdid it and Terra retaliated in kind." She spoke formally when she was truly regretful, feeling ashamed for letting her master down.

Terra shook his head, wincing with every breath. "No, Master! Don't punish her, it was my fault. I got carried away…again. Of_ course_ Ven couldn't mediate with us nearly killing each other."

"It's true," Aqua added, clamping a hand over her wound to stop it from bleeding. "How can he find his peace? You and Terra didn't do that when I was learning."

"Don't make excuses for me," Ventus spoke up. "I should have been able to do it regardless, I guess. I could have stopped the fight sooner, maybe."

Eraqus listened silently, stroking his chin. At last he reached his hand out and breathed, "Curaga."

Green sparks jettisoned from his hand and engulfed all three of them, though Ventus was fine. The swirling herbal energy stitched together Aqua's jagged gash faster than any doctor could, and there was a barely audible "pop" as Terra's rib healed.

"All of you," Eraqus said after the last of the magic had faded away. "To your rooms. We'll try this again tomorrow, but you need to rest." Ventus made to follow Aqua and Terra down the same path their master had apparently left down earlier, but he paused as he felt a hand on his shoulder. "Ventus. A word."

Aqua glanced back, and Terra paused with one foot still in the air.

"I'll be there in a moment, guys." Ventus smiled.

"Alright, Ven." Terra set off again but Aqua lingered for a heartbeat before she did the same.

"I saw," Eraqus spoke as soon as the friends had vanished. "You dash forward to block the attack Terra sent Aqua's way. You touched the beginnings of the light at that moment, trying to save a friend."

"But she wasn't in any real danger," protested Ventus.

The Keyblade Master smiled faintly. "But did you know that?"

Ventus brooded over those words until Eraqus clapped him on the back. "Ah, young one, all will become clear in time."

"More riddles to chase around in my head," he joked.

"What needs to be chased around in your head is discipline, boy." Eraqus had no real venom in his voice though, and he gently pushed Ventus down the path. "I shall join you shortly. Go."

Bowing, Ventus sprinted down the road after his friends.

Eraqus surveyed the clearing, and then sent a controlled gust of wind and water to wash away the blood that stained some of the grass. He unfroze portions of the river that Aqua had left in its icy form, and then he slowly set off down the path after his apprentices.

Fool hardy, hot tempered, impulsive young ones…

But they had so much potential, the determination to succeed, and the time needed to learn.

They'd make legendary Keyblade Masters yet.

~***~

_**The first in the short series of semi-connected oneshots.**_

_**I apologize for any OOC-ness—I'm sort of going on what I've read, especially Eraqus.**_

_**Keep that in mind if you feel like reviewing.**_

_**This ENTIRE soon-to-be-oneshot-collection is dedicated to Dani-Chan Sprite-Monster -13-. Isn't that special? She requested BBS stuff so this is my pathetic attempt.**_

_**I have no idea how many oneshots will be in this thing, at the very least, four.**_

_**Suggestions welcome, but they'll be **_**after**_** the ones I have pre-planned.**_


	2. Endurance

_~*.*Disciples of the Keyblade*.*~_

**Title: **_Endurance_

**Rating: **K+ for safety.

**Warnings: **None, except for shirtless boys. I guess.

**Characters: **Master Eraqus, Ventus, Aqua, Terra

**Summary:** Nothing builds endurance like standing in a waterfall half-naked in the predawn. Pre-BBS.

~***~

Rough hands shook Aqua awake, and she grudgingly sat up, hair billowing around her slender face. "Huh?" She said distantly. "What's the matter?" She squinted at the figure in front of her, a dark haired young man with a powerful frame.

That man heaved a huge yawn. "Master Eraqus wants us." Terra's words sounded slurred as he combated his drowsiness. "I'll go get Ven…But the Master wants us dressed."

Aqua was too dazed to do anything but nod absently. "Okay. Right. Is it an emergency?" The tired buzzing in the back of her head was a hint at just how early it was, and the previous day's activities had been rather rigorous. She still hurt in some of the places where Terra had hit her, Curaga spell or not. She sat up as Terra left, rubbing at her eyes, glancing around her dark room. Unlike Ventus, she didn't favor all of those glowing gizmos and tribal masks. Her room was a little more simplistic, though not without its merits. She let her azure gaze hover over a seashell necklace before forcing herself to get dressed. Just as she hooked the silvery metal guard over one arm, she heard the clank of metal boots as Ven walked past. He sounded even clumsier in the morning than usual.

"What time is it?" She heard him complain on the other side of the door. He sounded groggy but not as exhausted as she and Terra were. Just the day previous, the two had gotten a little too into their mock duel and ended up hurting one another. Terra had a cracked rib and Aqua's shoulder and stomach had been torn open like an onion being peeled. It was lucky for them that both Master Eraqus and Ventus had stopped the fight before they had done permanent damage to one another that not even magic could heal.

Aqua had a nasty feeling that they were getting dressed for their punishment.

Now, now, don't think that their Master would cause them bodily harm. No, he cared too much for them. Instead, Eraqus would give them some hard and pointless task to wear them out for a day or two before letting them rest properly after the message had sank in. He wasn't exactly a cruel taskmaster, but he had some tricks up his sleeve from his own apprenticeship that generated a few positive results.

Aqua, Ven, and Terra were assembled outside, standing shakily on their legs. The moonlight glimmered off the golden battlements of the castle and its twin chains, and the black sky was sprinkled with a whirlpool of rotating silvery stars. It would have all been very beautiful, if it wasn't for the fact that Aqua saw that dawn was a long way away. The sun was a weak orange smudge barely visible on the distant horizon.

Predawn. They weren't going to like this.

Eraqus strode toward them, face strangely calm, without his usual stern frown. Their master waited until the respectful weary murmurs from his apprentices faded before he said, "Ready for your punishment? Bright eyed and bushy tailed I trust?"

Terra groaned aloud, knowing humor at this time of the night would not bode well for the trio. Aqua was inclined to agree. Ven seemed a little more alert than the rest, and he cleared his throat before asking politely, "What are we doing tonight, Master?"

"Endurance training. Terra might remember this from early in his apprenticeship."

Before Eraqus had even finished, Terra gave another moan of unhappiness, and Aqua wondered what could possibly be so bad to make even Terra uneasy.

The Keyblade Master motioned to his trinity of sleepy eyed disciples. They followed him wordlessly, Aqua feeling as if someone had planted lead weights in her body, trudging up a steep incline that twirled around a mountainside. As the roar of a waterfall reached their ears, Terra closed his eyes and sighed.

"What are we going to do?" Ven asked Terra quietly. The older apprentice just shook his head silently and Aqua exchanged a puzzled look with the youngest protégé.

"We'll see soon enough?" Aqua tried to sound optimistic, but it was difficult. No one replied.

_It's like we're walking to a gallows,_ the girl thought with a shudder. They stopped about two feet from the howling rush of wide water, turned into a silver cascade of pure starlight thanks to the night sky. It was a rather beautiful place, with brown stones worn smooth by the natural fountain. Flecks of foam spotted the rocks and speckled the young Keybladers' faces. They shivered as a small wind picked up, tossing more of the delicate white droplets onto their skin and clothes.

Pointing one calloused hand, Eraqus indicated a natural ledge, flat as a line, that jutted out from inside the waterfall itself. "I want all three of you to sit there until I say otherwise. If one of you tries to leave, or use magic to ease the discomfort, I will extend the time."

"We're getting punished for failing the lesson?" Ventus dared to ask. Aqua looked at her master curiously, waiting for his response. The older gentleman smiled thinly.

"Not really for failing the lesson, Ventus," corrected Eraqus. "This is mainly a test for Terra and Aqua's endurance, but also, I think you can benefit from it. Would you rather do the test alone, or with your friends?"

"With them," Ven answered hurriedly, his blue eyes flicking from side to side; apparently uneasy at the thought of being alone in the icy falls.

"Very well. Aqua, remove your armor and shoes. Terra and Ventus, do the same, but take off your shirts also. Deposit them in a pile beside me." Eraqus indicated a smooth stone near the edge of the cliff. "Afterwards, you all must stay in the falls until I say you may depart."

"Why doesn't Aqua have to take her shirt off?" Ventus complained as he slipped down his shoulder-guard. Terra and Aqua were doing the same.

Terra snorted and rolled his eyes. "She's a girl. Now reconsider that question."

There was a brief pause, then Ven's face acquired a sprinkling of light red and he said nothing else. After the ornaments and clothes were in their proper position, the trio eyed the crashing waterfall warily. Terra performed a low bow, shivering slightly from the icy droplets that scattered themselves across his shoulders and back. "Ladies first."

"Chicken," Aqua muttered before taking his offer and leaping into the water. She found that the ledge wasn't in the cascade itself, but directly behind it, earning a majority of the watery backlash. She almost slipped but managed to keep her balance, crouching down and gripping the edge. She was instantly soaked to the bone, trembling, hair slicked flat to her face and neck. In a space of two heartbeats, both Terra and Ven joined her. Ventus, on her right, wrapped his arms around himself and chattered his teeth freely. Terra simply clenched his mouth tightly and rested on his heels, fingers curled into a fist.

Aqua had never been colder or more miserable in her life. At least in battle she had felt alive, with adrenaline pumping. Even the fiery sting of a sword slash felt better than the all encasing numbness that was sealing itself into every blood vessel and every inch of skin. At least she had her shirt on. She reasoned it was worse for the two apprentices on either side of her.

She lifted her head slightly, deafened by the roar of the falls, watching the sky from behind the veil of howling water. The world outside had obtained an unreal quality, as if she was looking at a distorted mirror or some decrepit painting with its colors running into one another. Strange shimmering patterns danced on the rock walls, and every single second new icicle-like drops of foam collided with her skin.

Aqua felt her muscles stiffen as time stretched on, and she glanced from left to right. Terra's eyes were narrowed to dark cobalt slits, his breathing slightly ragged. Ven…

Ven looked the worse by far.

The boy was shaking freely, eyes wide instead of narrowed, ignoring the spatters of water that struck his face. There was something she didn't like about his gaze—it was too distant, too unfocused. Terra's eyes were concentrated on a spiky stone on the other side of the waterfall and he blinked occasionally, but Ven was watching nothing, unblinking.

Aqua squinted past the moving curtain and saw Master Eraqus sitting cross-legged, his back to them, meditating. He seemed unaware of Ven's plight. She was not. She thought that she and Terra could handle the training, but Ventus was too young, not yet strong enough.

Her voice seemed to lodge in her throat, and Aqua had to take several deep, shaky breaths before she called out, "Master?"

He stirred and said without looking behind himself, "Yes, Aqua?"

"Ven can't take this. Let him out." All of Aqua's willpower was being used just to stop her teeth from clattering. She was exhausted, as if she had run for miles.

"You've been in there for almost fifteen minutes," came the calm reply. She couldn't tell what exactly was in his tone at that moment.

Before he could say anything else, she offered quickly, "I'll take the rest of Ven's time, and my own."

"That's an extra ten minutes," Eraqus faced her now; his dark eyes seemed to be jumping in their sockets thanks to the ever moving water.

Ven tried to say that he was fine, but he appeared to be unable to form a sentence. Terra's stare shifted to the youngest apprentice, obviously concerned.

"Very well." Aqua swallowed nervously as she felt her heartbeat accelerate—her body rebelling against the idea—and her mind almost shut down. Both her mind and her body didn't want to stay in the waterfall for _any_ reason. But stay she did, even as Ven clumsily exited their prison. What was making her do this, she thought. Her heart? Her heart that wouldn't accept the boy that she considered a little brother suffering for any reason that she could control?

"What about you, Terra?" She joked halfheartedly, knowing full well what his response would be.

"This? N-nah, no problem…Right?" He replied after a moment's pause.

She nodded and the pair sat together, even when Terra could have left after Aqua was weathering Ven's remaining time. Aqua felt her mind wandering, and more than a few times, she felt a strange blurry blackness in the corner of her mind that felt deeper than sleep…

Deeper than sleep…

"We can get out now, A-Aqua." Terra gasped into her ear, and the girl stirred, moving with considerably less grace than before as she departed the rock ledge. Ventus had gone somewhere, but Eraqus had stayed. He said to the two, "I'm proud of you both for finishing your training—and your punishment."

They were both too tired to reply, they simply ducked their heads and waited to be dismissed. Surely he was done with them now?

"Firaga," Eraqus muttered. A huge column of flame leaped into life between the apprentices and their master, sending out much needed waves of heat. It somehow didn't bother the grass. The pillar was a light shade of orange, almost white. It chased away the damp and cold instantly, relieving the pair immediately. It even began drying their clothes out. Aqua sighed in relief, and Terra echoed the motion.

Eraqus waited a full two minutes before he said, "Aqua, I would speak with you, if you would permit a few moments away from the fire." He smiled faintly again.

She hesitated but decided to humor him, following the Keyblade Master as he led her to a grassy knoll a few feet away, far out of Terra's hearing. Eraqus surveyed her silently for a full minute, causing his possibly best and brightest apprentice to shift her feet uneasily.

"Aqua," he said at last. "I'm impressed with you yet again. You saved Ventus from quite a predicament. I was within a single minute of removing him myself until you addressed me."

"You knew?" She asked incredulously.

"Of course. I wanted to see what you would do. I know my apprentices…" He trailed off for a moment, and then he smiled at her once more. "Fantastic work. You will make a wonderful Master, Aqua. You do not miss much, and you are willing to sacrifice your own comfort for the well being of others. You even offered to do the same for Terra!" He chuckled a little. "Yes, Terra had been in there for disobeying me before…though not nearly as long."

Aqua felt warm from the praise, warmer even than the heat from the fire's blaze. "Thank you, Master Eraqus," she said humbly, dipping her head.

"Do not thank me; this was your own doing. Now, let us get you and Terra sufficiently warmed up before I send you back to bed. We'll start training in the afternoon. You could all do with some rest."

Aqua said wryly as they headed back to Terra, whom was still enjoying the flames, "I won't get carried away in battle again."

Eraqus laughed softly. "Do not fear, I did the same when I was younger. I was in a waterfall more times than I care to remember."

She tried to imagine a younger Master Eraqus in her previous situation, but her imagination couldn't properly create the image.

Terra had the sense not to ask about the conversation between Aqua and Eraqus. "Where's Ven?" He inquired casually, as if nothing had happened.

"He's fixing you two something to eat." Eraqus replied.

Terra paled and Aqua exchanged a startled look with him. Without waiting for their master's permission, they sprinted off down the road. "The kitchen will be a smoking crater with _Ven_ in there!" Terra exclaimed.

Aqua smiled. "He's not quite that bad, Terra."

"Okay. The _food_ will be a smoking crater," he relented grudgingly.

"Spot on."

After his apprentices' forms had vanished down the hill, Eraqus collected their gear—Ventus had his—and set off leisurely after them.

His dear, wild, intelligent, determined apprentices. He'd be almost sad when their training was complete.

~***~

_**I rewrote this one three times before I actually thought it was acceptable. I still don't like it much.**_

_**Anyway, next one is from Terra's point of view. If anyone cares.**_

_**All still for Dani-Chan. Indeed. Hope you like!**_

_**Drop a review, if you will! Feel free to drop suggestions at any time—you'll get credit, and if I like them, they'll get used. **_


	3. Strength

_~*.*Disciples of the Keyblade*.*~_

**Title: **_Strength_

**Rating: **K+ for safety.

**Warnings: **Very small amount of blood, just a scrape.

**Characters: **Master Eraqus, Ventus, Aqua, Terra

**Summary:** Who knew that shifting a boulder without magic would be this _difficult_? Pre-BBS.

~***~

Terra heaved a sigh that caused his hair to ruffle, glancing around. He was sitting on the flat top of a wall, one leg drawn up to his chest, chin resting on his knee. He tapped his fingers against the stone, humming a song whose words he had forgotten. The sun was drenching the Land of Departure in golden rays of gleaming light, turning the yellow chains that connected the castle to the twin mountain peaks into strips of pure tawny fire.

"Where's the Master?" Aqua said by his side, leaning against the wall with her azure gaze wandering everywhere. "It's not like him to be late."

Ventus refused to stay still, and instead he was walking along the thin wall with his hands outstretched, turning around every time he reached Terra and heading back down. "I don't know. Did he oversleep?"

"Eraqus? Oversleep?" Terra scoffed. "I doubt it. He's got something planned for us. As if the waterfall wasn't bad enough."

"That's not true," Aqua protested, earning an eye roll from her friend. "He's probably just setting up our latest training exercise."

The eldest apprentice shrugged, drumming a pattern into the stone with one hand. "If that's the case, then where is he? Or our apparent 'training exercise'?"

"Don't be so impatient Terra!" Ven chided with a grin, flopping down beside him with a clink of his metal shoes. "I bet he's ready right about now."

On cue, there was a loud rumbling from the hillside to their right. Turning their heads, the Keyblade Disciples spotted a huge boulder. It burst out of the thin grouping of trees and headed straight for the trio. Scrambling out of the way, Terra kicked off of the wall and actually _jumped_ over the large jagged stone. He landed lightly, twisting around and checking to see if the others were okay. Ven had somehow moved faster than anyone else and was already more than enough feet away. Aqua had cart wheeled to the side—_Show off,_ Terra thought with a grin—and she was staring at the big rock with an expression of shock.

It reached the low wall and tilted ominously towards the edge, as if it was about to tumble down the slope past the barricade. Instead it gave a final groan and thumped down onto the ground. The clatter of footsteps reached their ears and the apprentices turned as one to see Master Eraqus descending the hillside from which the boulder had originated. He dusted his hands off and smiled at his pupils.

"Good morning," he greeted as if nothing had happened.

Ventus gasped, "Did _you_ move that thing, Master?"

Eraqus nodded with a bright twinkle in his dark eyes. Stroking his chin, the Keyblade Master tapped the grand stone that was almost the size of Terra. It was full of rough rivulets and uneven surfaces, broken bits and tattered sections that seemed ready to drop off. The cracks were littered with moss and ivy that had been torn from their original positions in the earth, and they hung limply from the sides of the boulder.

"Now," began Eraqus. "I want all three of you to move this pebble back to its original perch. Up there." He pointed to a hillock that rose out of the more uneven surfaces of a low mountain, or maybe it was only a high hill. To Terra, it was still quite a distance.

"Really?" Ven sounded amazed.

"That's not all. You can't use magic."

Aqua's face paled. Terra knew she drew much of her strength from her prowess in magic, in which she was unrivaled. He himself was the strongest physically of the three protégés—he could handle it. Possibly.

Eraqus indicated the "pebble" with a languid wave of his hand. "Ventus, I want you to move the stone from its current resting place to the foot of the hill. Then I want Aqua to take it halfway up until it is resting beside that birch tree." He pointed to a white barked tree that jutted out of the grassy rubble. "Terra will then take it the rest of the way."

Terra watched the landscape with interest. Technically, Ventus had it easier than any of them. He only had to move the massive rock up a gentle slope until it was at the base of the tall mound. Aqua would have it rougher, but he himself had it hardest. The hill would become more mountainous the farther up he took it. He grimaced.

Eraqus sat cross-legged a few ruler lengths from the boulder. "Begin."

"We can't help him?" Aqua inquired, her gaze hovering protectively on Ven's form as he circled the stone.

"No, Aqua," their master said with a gentle smile. "He must do this alone."

Terra and Aqua retreated a good distance back so Ventus could work unbothered. He continued to walk around the rock a few times before he braced his feet against the wall and pressed his back against the boulder's bumpy surface. The muscles in his body stood out as he strained, and to Terra's surprise the stone began to shift. There was considerable strength in that lean body after all.

He whipped around at the last moment so that he was facing the rock and he dug his shoes into the ground, pressing his shoulder against the large obstruction. He heaved, gasping, light sky blue eyes gleaming with determination. He made steady progress with the stone, occasionally readjusting his grip so he could roll it easier. Terra and Aqua were speechless as the youngest apprentice made his steady way forward, ignoring the various scrapes that he accumulated. He tried to keep a majority of the pressure on his shoulder-guard, so that the metal armor could take the weight. Four times he slipped and the stone almost rolled backwards, but with a small grunt he kept moving forward.

Unfortunately, unlike Terra and Aqua, he had forsaken the idea of wearing fingerless gloves. There were soon a collection of bleeding scrapes on his hands and blisters, leaving faint pink smudges on the rock where it was the roughest. He made painstakingly slow progress, but at long last the young Keyblader reached the foot of the hill. He sagged forward, hands on his knees, gasping in air. He brushed a limp strand of golden hair from his eyes and grinned triumphantly at his friends.

"No need to worry Aqua," he managed to say between his heaving breaths. "I can push a little pebble."

Aqua smiled. "I should have known better." She replaced Ventus's position by the rock and studied the stone silently. Seconds turned into minutes whereas she only tapped its surface in places, watching the stormy gray structure with interest.

Terra coughed and earned a glare from Eraqus, but the eldest apprentice was impatient. The longer she delayed, the later the day got, and he was _not_ looking forward to pushing a stone up a mountain when the sun was at its peak.

At long last Aqua grinned. She hooked her fingers underneath the stone and shoved it upwards, starting to scale the hill.

"It took you _that_ long to figure that out?" Terra called.

"She knows what she's doing," Ven said calmly by his side, though he looked just as confused.

Aqua suddenly shifted her rhythm, bracing her armored shoulder against the rock and placing her feet on a stone that jutted out of the landscape. She steadily climbed the steep hillside, kicking off of trees, rising knolls, and basically anything else that could hold her weight. It caused her to easily ascend the slope with startling speed, using the momentum from each kick to force the boulder higher and higher.

Terra was taken aback, and Eraqus gave a small chuckle. Ven was too busy cheering Aqua on to do anything else.

Reaching the crooked birch tree that barely clung to the mountainous hill, Aqua carefully maneuvered the boulder so that its bulk rested against a fallen log, which dealt with the possible issue of it cascading back down the side. She turned with a flourish and bowed before making her way nimbly back down. She came to a stop a foot from Terra and said with a teasing smile, "You next."

"Show. Off." He answered with a grin to lighten his words. Inside, his heart knotted itself up in agitation. Why did she _always_ have to show off? It was understandable if she was the oldest apprentice, but she was _younger _than him!

Shaking his head, Terra decided he'd just have to equal that somehow. He stalked across the field and starting making his way up the slope, seeing the areas of flattened vegetation where Aqua and Eraqus had maneuvered the boulder up and down the hillside. He rolled his shoulders, shaking his head, trying to think of a way to move the stone. Ventus had, in all reality, used brute strength. Aqua had found some way to lighten the load to make up for her lesser strength. What would he do?

Well, he _was_ the strongest of the trio of apprentices. He could work with that somehow.

Terra decided to do what the others had done, that is, he examined the rock. He saw that its front was actually considerably smoother than the back. It would be uneven while rolling, and outright _lifting_ it would almost be impossible. Regardless, just to see its weight, he encircled the stone in his arms and strained his muscles in an effort to pick up it. Strangely, the boulder's weight was unbalanced, not from the roughness of one side either. It was, in fact, lighter…like some portions of it were hollow, as if cavities had formed in the rock.

Eyeing the path before him, Terra saw he could easily copy Aqua's technique of pushing off of objects, or he could even do what Ventus had done and simply roll the boulder. There were some animal trails that had smoothed out a few portions of the vegetation so that it wasn't quite so thick.

However…his stubborn pride stopped him from doing either one of those things. Terra felt an idea spark in his head as soon as he tested the rock's weight again. He couldn't pick up the stone by itself—or even if he dared to try, it would be awfully heavy. He'd be tired out after only a few feet. No, he was certain he could simply carry it if it was only half its mass…

He grinned. Turning around, Terra called out as loud as he could, "Master Eraqus?"

"Yes, Terra?"

From his current view point, Terra could espy Ven and Aqua, along with his master, seated together. Ventus was standing up and perched on the tip of his toes as he tried to see what Terra was up to.

"What are we _not_ allowed to do again?"

Eraqus frowned. "You cannot use magic, and cannot gain help from the others. That is all."

"All right. Are you sure?"

When his master nodded, Terra smirked hugely and brought out his Keyblade. With a powerful slash, he severed the stone in half as cleanly as if he had been chopping butter.

Aqua realized his plan and he saw the flash of her teeth as she smiled, and Ven was applauding, laughing. Eraqus gave a small smile but said nothing.

Terra hooked a portion of the rock under one arm and stood up, testing its weight. He could easily carry it; he had lifted much heavier things before. He made his way up the slope, careful not to put his foot anywhere that could possibly unbalance him. The last thing he needed was for Aqua to see him tumbling in an undignified heap down a mountain.

The crest of the high hill was mostly empty, save for a moist dirt circle where the boulder had rested previously. Terra dropped the severed rock unceremoniously and clapped his hands together to rid them of dust. He slid back down the slope and retrieved the last piece, feeling worn out but triumphant. The sun was scorching him from above, and he favored the shadows of the trees. Placing down the last large shard, he wiped his forehead and allowed himself another grin.

Terra rested briefly before walking casually back down the hillside. He sauntered over to his friends and said with a hint of smugness, "Did I pass?"

Eraqus stood as his apprentices arranged themselves into a line. "You _all_ passed. You all met my expectations, and even surpassed them. Very well done, all three of you. Especially you, Terra. I chose that boulder with the hollow, collapsed holes of the stone in mind. It would have been easier for all of you, especially Ventus, if you had slashed it like Terra had done."

Seeing the other two, whose faces were slightly crestfallen, their master laughed. "You did it your own way, and it was quite good. Ventus, I never knew you were so strong. I underestimated you. And Aqua, you saved yourself from quite a tiresome predicament. That was clever, but then again, you always were."

His apprentices' confidences properly restored and boosted, their master indicated the castle. "Go. Rest for a while. You're dismissed. We'll do something less strenuous later on, perhaps with magic."

Aqua perked up considerably—she was always into magic, Terra recalled—and she walked away with Terra and Ventus in tow.

"You're not making lunch," Terra said immediately before Ven could speak.

"Hey, why not?" The youngest protégé objected.

Aqua said gently, "Well, the last time…the castle was sort of…"

"It was filled with smoke." Terra growled with a playful shove. "Let Aqua cook. Girls are good at that."

"What's _that_ supposed to mean?" She replied with an expression of mock irritation.

"Nothing. Girls are good at cooking and boys aren't." Terra decided it was safer to say that than to rouse Aqua's wrath.

She gave him a suspicious look but departed anyway, and Terra kept his expression of a satisfied cat the whole day.

~***~

_**All right, next one will probably be more humorous, if not shorter. Also, it will be Ven's POV.**_

_**As you can see, they are indeed learning something, but it's not very interesting, is it? I'll try to be more creative later on, or you can tell me **_your_** imaginative ideas. **_

_**Still dedicated to Dani-Chan, because she's awesome, yes?**_

_**Drop a review, if you please! Thanks to all the reviewers and people that put this on favorites and story alerts, I didn't think these dull oneshots would be so popular. Thanks a ton!**_


	4. Agility

_~*.*Disciples of the Keyblade*.*~_

**Title:**_ Agility_

**Rating: **K+ for safety.

**Warnings: **Kids hurting themselves.

**Characters: **Master Eraqus, Ventus, Aqua, Terra

**Summary:** "Take this pebble from my hand, Ventus." Oh no. Pre-BBS.

~***~

Ventus frowned, unsure if this was actually the training or just some kind of joke. He looked from the vaguely amused face of his master to Terra and Aqua, whom were training in their armor not far away. They were outside, of course. The duo of older apprentices could hardly train _inside_ without ripping the furniture to shreds.

Ventus himself was watching his friends via the open window, but Eraqus gained his attention with yet another brisk finger snap. He turned back, resisting the urge to yawn, tapping the table before him.

"Take this pebble from my hand, Ventus." The Keyblade Master repeated. "Don't look at me like that. This is your agility test. You pride yourself on your agility, don't you?"

Ventus nodded hesitantly. Eraqus smiled and opened his palm to reveal a small, round, smooth white stone about the size of the youngest protégé's thumb. He decided to examine this from every angle—this had to be some kind of trick. He took his sweet time processing the information before him, but all Ventus could honestly see was a small rock on his master's palm.

Casually, he pretended that he was distracted by a loud clang from outside as Terra struck Aqua's armored shoulder with his Keyblade. She recovered quickly and tripped him with a deft twist of one leg, straightening from her crouch in time to hit his arm.

Suddenly Ventus shot his hand out in an effort to grab the pebble, and Eraqus pulled back so quickly that he looked like a blur. Unfortunately the momentum from his movements caused the Keyblade Disciple to completely overshoot his mark. He collapsed in a heap on the floor, bringing the table and his own chair down on his shoulders and back. Eraqus dusted his robe off casually as Ventus struggled to sit upright, knocking the furniture away.

Raucous laughter reached his ears and Ventus flushed red as Terra's armored face appeared in the window. He removed his helmet and resumed laughing until tears ran down his face. Aqua shoved him aside and he crumpled to the ground, still having hysterics.

What made it worse—and Ventus wished he could die at that moment—was that _Aqua_ was even on the verge of snickering. She turned her head to the side quickly and took a few breaths before facing him again. "What happened, Ven?" She asked innocently.

_Stop laughing,_ he thought angrily. "I tried to get a pebble," he muttered so quietly that he hoped no one could hear properly.

The corner of Aqua's lips twitched as she beheld the scattered chairs and the overturned table, but she didn't say anything besides, "Just try again. You can do it."

Ventus straightened up and reset the furniture so that they were in their proper positions.

"Ready?" Eraqus inquired pleasantly as if nothing had happened. He retook his seat with a flourish of his robes.

"Yes, Master. As soon as Terra stops laughing." On cue, Terra covered his mouth and instead placed his helmet back on his head. With all the dignity he could muster, Ventus fixed him with a glare. "Are you done?"

"Yes. For now." Chuckling, Terra turned around only to be tripped by Aqua again.

"Leave him alone, we did that challenge before." She scolded.

"But we didn't—"Terra began, only to clamp his mouth shut as she narrowed her eyes to blue slits. They resumed their combat training, and Ventus tried not to think about either of the two older pupils.

There it was, an innocent hand on the small wooden counter with a white stone. Ventus's eyes strayed to the whorls on the table's surface as he settled into deep thought. It was clear he couldn't just try and wildly grab the rock; he'd only end up in a humiliating heap again. He could result to trickery if he wanted to, but somehow he knew Eraqus didn't want that.

_Maybe it's only a matter of reflexes, and it has nothing to do with deception._

Ventus tried again to grab the pebble, but Eraqus pulled his hand back immediately. After a grand total of thirteen tries, even Ventus's cheery personality was wearing thin. Irritation caused him to ground his teeth together, and after yet another attempt he leaned back in his seat in defeat. "This is impossible Master; you're too fast for me."

"Yeah," a voice agreed. "You weren't even that fast with us!"

Terra and Aqua were by the window, watching with stunned expressions. Ventus felt even more ashamed now that he knew his friends had been studying him instead of practicing, like they were _supposed_ to be doing.

In answer to Terra's outburst, Eraqus said, "I know that. But I think Ventus can do this. He just needs to clear his mind."

_Clear my mind._ That's what the Master always said when he wanted them to "find the light", and Ventus had only succeeded in brushing it before. Would the "light" somehow make him faster? His element was the wind; after all…Aqua's was water, and Terra's earth.

Ventus exhaled sharply and tried to relax. He didn't dwell on Terra or Master Eraqus—and especially not Aqua, because he still remembered her soft laughter from his earlier effort to grab the pebble. She had never laughed at him before, and somehow it hurt more than Terra's. The older apprentice was always mocking him anyway.

_This is clearing your mind? Pathetic._ Ventus scolded himself. He unexpectedly recoiled mentally, because he was certain he had just touched something. Something…warm. In his _mind_? Opening his eyes before the feeling left, he reached out and…

Closed his fingers around the pebble. He pulled back and stared stupidly at the little stone, unable to believe he had retrieved it. Over the hour, he had come to hate the rock. Now he was elated. A huge grin split his face and he jumped up, knocking the chair over in the process once more.

"I've got it! Look, Aqua, Terra, I've _got the stone_! It's mine! I got the pebble!" He jumped up and down with a sudden burst of energy, laughing, and ignoring the amused chuckles of his friends and Master.

His joy was infectious, and soon Aqua was smiling. "You did it."

"He did it," Terra sounded shocked.

Eraqus interrupted Ventus's happy prancing after a few moments. "I'm not surprised. I knew you had it in you."

"You did Master, and I got it, and you were right! Hah!" Ventus rounded on Terra. "In your face! Who's laughing now?" He bounced the stone off of the oldest protégé's bewildered face and proceeded to snicker uncontrollably.

"Okay Ven. Jeesh. It's just a rock," Terra complained.

Ventus made an effort to calm down, bowing to his master. "What else are we doing today?" He said with an air of zealous formality.

Eraqus seemed amused by his little fit but didn't bring it up. "Another important aspect of mastering agility is being able to perform all of your normal feats while wearing full armor, like _Terra and Aqua were supposed to be practicing today._" He fixed the two disciples with a glare, and they dipped their heads.

"But Ventus, we'll address the armor thing another day." Bending down to grab the pebble, Eraqus rolled the tiny stone between his fingers. "You're going to take this rock from me again. Twice."

The youngest apprentice's smile faded and Terra broke into wild guffaws, only to be silenced by Aqua. "Let's go train and leave him alone," she murmured.

Sitting down at the table again, Ventus hoped he could repeat the feat.

Either that or he would be sitting here from dawn until dusk. And Terra would never let him hear the end of _that_.

~***~

_**Shorter than the others I know, but I**__ did__** say this one would be. Next one will be longer, and from Aqua's POV. I'll probably be rotating the POVs from Ventus to Aqua to Terra, unless I just feel the need to break it.**_

_**Anyway, Dani-Chan was right when I told her and she guessed. The pebble thing is from Karate Kid.**_

_**Mind dropping a review and/or ideas? I love them both, thanks a bunch to everyone that's favorite and reviewed, or put this on story alert!**_

_**Updates will be a tad slower now, since school is starting again tomorrow. At least an update or two a week though, at the very least, that I can promise.**_


	5. Patience

_~*.*Disciples of the Keyblade*.*~_

**Title:**_ Patience_

**Rating: **K+ for safety.

**Warnings: **Exasperated teens on the verge of hurting someone, a half formed swear word.

**Characters:** Master Eraqus, Ventus, Aqua, Terra, Tigger, Piglet, Winnie the Pooh

**Summary:** The threesome encounter a mysterious storybook meant for Merlin in Master Eraqus's study. Pre-BBS.

**Special Notes:** This idea was just so awesome that I had to break my POV Cycle and switch to Terra's instead. The prompt is from **BlueandRedButterflies**, so all credit goes to her! _I mean it._ All of it. I just took the prompt and wrote it. I hope it's decent! As for everyone else I have not forgotten your prompts either! More on this at the bottom. Also, **this is set roughly two years before the other oneshots so far, hence why Ven seems a little more juvenile.**

~***~

The entire day had been spent learning the finer touches of magic, and in all honesty, the three apprentices were exhausted. No one more so than Terra, who had to endure a brutal sparring session with Master Eraqus as his mentor tested his skills with the Keyblade.

Oddly enough, Ventus and Aqua didn't have to undergo the special exam. Maybe it had something to do with being the eldest disciple.

_Or maybe he just hates me,_ Terra thought sourly as his muscles throbbed painfully. They were inside the castle over the Land of Departure, having had just finished their evening meal, the trio were resting and chatting idly until they decided to hit the hay.

"Say Terra, what do you think Master Eraqus does in his room all the time?" Ven asked. He tapped one finger against his chin. "I mean, he's in there constantly when he's not with us."

"I dunno. Important stuff." Terra offered lamely, not considering it very high on his "Items of Importance" list. He was tired and irritated, but his stubborn pride wouldn't let him rest until the others were.

Aqua shrugged and bounced a ball of light between her hands. "Terra's right, it's probably something essential. Maybe he writes Keyblade Masters in other places discussing training regimes, or perhaps he even pens a letter to the King himself!"

Ventus sat up from the dark burgundy couch with a gasp. "He writes the _King_?"

The female protégé pursed her lips. "Well possibly, I never said—"

"But even if it's just other Masters, how often do we hear from other Keyblade apprentices? I wonder how much there are?" The boy's voice continued to rise with his excitement. "Do you think we'd ever get to meet another pupil, like us? Or are Keybearers one in a billion?"

Terra smirked as he noticed Aqua's expression. She was clearly regretting bringing it up. "Maybe Ven, but—"

"Let's go see his study!" Ventus was already up and out the room before Aqua had even risen to her feet from the armchair she had been reclining in.

"Way to go." Terra observed dryly, earning a glare from Aqua. She sighed in defeat.

"We better go with him before he messes something up."

Terra followed the azure eyed trainee as she set off down the winding corridors looking for Ven. They bounded up stairs and weaved through various passages that would have made anyone else dizzy and lost, but it was home to the apprentices, and they hadn't gotten lost yet.

The very top spire of the castle proved to be Ven's designation, and the pair came to a stop as they saw a door open just a crack, with a shadow moving within.

"Ven? Is that you?" Terra hissed. "Get out of the Master's room!"

The door opened and the blonde haired boy gave a cheery grin. "C'mon, this way, you won't believe what I found!" He was off again before Aqua or Terra could do a thing about it, and hesitantly the older pair of disciples crept into the study.

It had a regal, refined, well kept feel to it. Everything was tidy and neat, with shades of gold, dark red, and burnished bronze. Two desks, a window, a bed…

And a slim door directly to the right, which housed a room full of bookshelves and yet another table.

Terra nudged the door open and poked his head in. Ven was bent over the desk, examining something with a curious gaze.

"Ven!" Aqua hissed, storming into the room. She glanced around nervously. "We're not supposed to be _in here_! Let's go!" She grabbed his arm—gently—but the boy only shrugged her off.

"But look! I've never seen anything like it." Ven held up a midsized tome.

"Wow. I've never seen a book before." Terra's tone positively dripped sarcasm. "We'll be out running circuits from dawn to dusk if we're caught in here! Aqua's right, let's—"

"Scared?" Ven's eyes twinkled mischievously, stopping the eldest apprentice mid-sentence. "It's been lying on this wrapping paper. It looks like the Master is about to send it to someone in Radiant Garden, a 'Merlin'."

Aqua seemed interested despite herself. She looked at the leather bound volume with a new light in her gaze. "Merlin? He's one of the best magicians in the universe, after Master Yen Sid."

"Right," agreed Ventus as if he had always known who Merlin was. "And if Master Eraqus is sending it to him, this book must be magical!" He tapped the cover, which had a blank white square apparently meant to hold a picture, but there was nothing there.

"I don't care," Aqua said at last, though it was obvious that she was lying. "We can't just examine anything we want in this study, _especially_ if it's addressed to Merlin! What if…"

Ventus shrugged with a sigh. "Okay, okay, if you really think so." He looked disappointed as he placed it back on the wrapping paper, and Terra mentally counted off the seconds in his head.

_Three…two…one…_

Right on cue, Aqua picked the book up again. "Just one peek wouldn't hurt," she mumbled.

_She's always had a soft spot for Ven_, Terra thought testily. Well, he did too, but that was beside the point. Despite himself, he scooted closer and peered over her shoulder, as did Ventus, and the middle neophyte opened the book.

Nothing happened. The inside was simply a child's storybook, beautifully made, but normal as far as books went.

"That's a rip off," Ven muttered, crestfallen.

Before Terra could agree, a blinding white light dragged all three of the teens into the pages, and they didn't even have time to scream.

In the study, the volume dropped brusquely to the ground with nary a ripple of magic.

~***~

Terra opened his eyes, sitting up with a massive yawn. The first thing he noticed was that the sun was out—and the moon had been rising when they had unexpectedly left.

He scrambled to his feet and stared around frantically. There didn't appear to be any danger. Just a lush green field all around him, with a log right to his side, covered in pale, fleshy mushrooms. Tulips and sunflowers bent their heads in response to the wind, and the sky, along with the clouds, seemed to be just above his fingertips. A pleasant breeze blew, keeping it just the right temperature between hot and lukewarm. Terra rubbed at his dark brown hair in bewilderment.

Wait…where were Aqua and Ven?!

The eldest apprentice spun around on the spot, eyes searching every which way. "Aqua? Ven?" He called out. A butterfly lifted off of the fallen tree in response, fluttering away like a princess's lost golden trinket.

_Maybe they popped up somewhere else in this…book…than I did._

Terra took another quick look around, and then he turned his back on the log and headed toward a blurry mass on the skyline—a forest?

Before he could take even twenty steps, an orange shape hurtled seemingly out of nowhere and catapulted into him, sending the young tyro flying until he landed flat on his back in quite an undignified heap.

Terra summoned his Keyblade, but some uncanny sense told him not to attack.

Pinning him down with a smile that was entirely harmless, sincere, and amused at the same time was what appeared to be a stuffed animal tiger. Its tail was longer than a normal tiger's, granted, and there were no claws or vicious fangs. But it was a tiger all the same. The orange feline waved its tail and chortled, "Hoohoohoohooo!"

"What?" Terra said blankly, unable to form a proper sentence in response to the cheerful laughter.

The striped cat made a face of mock annoyance. "My fault I guess, thought you were Pooh bear! Where has the old beary boy got to? Gotta look before I leap!"

"I don't know, but if you get off of me, I'll help you find him." He had no such intention, but it wasn't that big of a deal, surely?

The tiger's ears pricked upwards and then he sprang away, still laughing, while Terra got to his feet, smoothing his outfit out. "Who are you?" He asked, or more like demanded, if the Keyblade in his hand was anything to go by.

The tiger bounced fearlessly up to him and used one finger to push the weapon aside as if it was nothing. "Don't go waving things like that around buddy boy, you'll hurt yourself! Now then, I'm Tigger!"

"Tigger?" Terra said skeptically, dismissing his weapon while raising a cynical eyebrow.

"You ain't never seen a Tigger before?" The tiger looked horrified, and then he used his long tail to bounce on like a spring, gripping the edges of his toes with his paws. "Tiggers are the best bouncers in the _whole_ forest y'know! Bouncin' is what Tiggers do best!"

"Okay great," Terra was fighting to keep his patience. "But have you seen my friends, Ven and Aqua?" He pronounced the words clearly, as if talking to a slow child.

Tigger hopped right up to him and poked a finger in the protégé's face. "Have _you_ seen buddy bear? Pooh the Winnie? Winnie the Pooh?"

"Who the he—"Taking a deep breath he asked, "Who is 'Winnie'?"

"He's a Pooh."

Terra gritted his teeth. "What's a Pooh?"

"Winnie's a Pooh! Silly boy, you've got bees in your brain!" Tigger clicked his tongue in deep pity.

Terra clamped a hand to his face and exhaled sharply. "All right. Thanks anyway. What's that forest over there called?" He gestured to the wood on the horizon.

"The Hundred Acre Wood! Say…You didn't know that. You aren't from around here, are ya?"

"No." Terra said flatly, already walking off. To his horror, the "Tigger" accompanied him, bouncing right along with a ridiculous smile.

"Well that's all right buddy boy! I'll show you around!"

"Fine. But first, did you see anyone like me? Armored, humans…?"

Tigger stroked his chin thoughtfully, still hopping. "Now that ya mention it, I think I saw two of ya walk into these very woods. Chances are, they encountered Piglet on the way." The tiger snapped his fingers. "Maybe Piglet knows where Pooh bear is! He's due for his daily bouncin'!"

Terra thought, _Dear God. Talking tigers, mysterious books, and now _piglets?_ Well…at least they seem harmless enough. If this had been a war torn world, _then_ I'd have a problem._

The Hundred Acre Wood was rather beautiful, with tall oaks and sycamores, buzzing bees, plants of all kinds and bubbling creeks. Terra felt his temper smooth out enough so that he could address Tigger in a friendlier tone. Maybe that was all it took to understand the animated stuffed animal.

"Tigger, do humans often come here?" Terra tried to keep his voice as pleasant as possible.

Tigger frowned, shaking his head, always jumping. "Oh no. We used to get one visitor here, all the time! His name was Christopher Robin. We had so much fun!" He chortled again but then his ears drooped. "One day, ol' Chris said that he'd never forget us. Never ever. But he was growin' up, and one day I guess he couldn't come back. 'Cause he wouldn't just leave us forever unless he had to, right?"

Hearing the desperate hope in the tiger's voice, Terra didn't have the heart to turn him down. "Of course. We got in by a book, maybe Christopher lost it? Or the magic wore off?"

"Book?" Tigger wrinkled his snout but didn't say anything else, apparently deep in thought.

A dearly familiar sound reached Terra's ears past the buzzing, and his heart soared. He raced off, trampling the undergrowth, and with a startled yelp Tigger put on a burst of speed to follow him. The trees cleared out to a beautiful clearing speckled with wild white daisies, and sitting there calmly braiding together some of the flowers to form a chain was Aqua.

She was still laughing, and her eyes lifted up to meet his, the golden sunlight speckling her hair so that it seemed some of the strands had turned into gold. "There you are, Terra."

"Where did you go? Where's Ven?" He approached her, careful not to stomp on the flowers, with Tigger weaving through the foliage close behind.

"I woke up here," Aqua said with a shrug. "And I met Piglet, who thinks he has an idea as to where Ven may be."

"Piglet? Where?" Terra rubbed the back of his head, bemused.

"I-I-I-I'm right here!" A voice squeaked near his shoe.

The eldest apprentice recoiled, relaxing when he saw a tiny pink pig with big, diamond shaped ears peeking up at him. "S-S-Sorry to scare you." The little animal apologized.

"I wasn't scared," Terra sniffed, annoyed.

"Yes you were." Aqua chided him gently, her eyes still sparkling with amusement. She placed the circlet of flowers around Piglet's head, but they drooped down, forming a necklace instead. "Piglet, can you please take us to where Ven might be?" She asked politely, accompanying her words with a smile.

"S-Sure. This way!" Piglet scurried off and Terra had to keep a close eye on the tiny animal as he scampered through the forest. Tigger took off again with a wild laugh and Aqua calmly broke into a jog.

"Where are we?" Terra hissed to her as the duo followed the pig.

"I think I've read about this before, but I could be wrong. The Hundred Acre Wood is a magical storybook…but if anything happens to its pages, though they can repair themselves, the memories have a chance of being lost."

"But how do we get _out_?" Terra thought the info was mostly irrelevant.

Aqua shrugged. "We'll have to think about it, but for now we need to find Ven."

Terra grunted in agreement.

Their uncontrolled romp through the forest came to an end as they came out onto a brown dirt path that led to a huge oak tree. Sitting on a clean, branchless log that acted as a bench, surrounded by fallen acorns, was a pudgy, small golden stuffed bear wearing a red shirt.

"P-Pooh! Oh Pooh bear!" Piglet skittered forward and earned the attention of the plushie.

"Oh, Piglet. I'm glad you're here." Pooh said with a kind smile. "My new friend has offered to get me some honey."

"New friend?" Terra lifted his head and spotted a mess of blonde hair in the higher branches. "Hey, Ven!"

Ven jerked at the unexpected shout of his name, hitting his head on a tree branch. A load of acorns clattered onto his shoulders and back, causing him to slip. At the last moment he snagged a beehive and fell to the earth with it, landing safely in a huge pile of leaves, freshly raked.

"Oh bother. Are you okay, Ven?" Pooh trundled over and inspected the scattered heap.

"Y-yeah. Here you go." The youngest disciple handed the bear the beehive, which caused Pooh to beam happily. Struggling to his feet, he waved casually. "Hey, guys!"

"Are you insane?" Aqua sounded more surprised than angry. She craned her neck to inspect the huge tree. "That's quite a climb."

"Quite a fall, too." Ven remarked nonchalantly.

As they chatted, Terra looked at the curiously made house. It was built into the lowest section of the tree, with a string to pull a bell, and a strange, badly written sign that read "Mr. Sanchez".

_You've _got_ to be kidding me._

A huge force crashed into Terra's back and the teen collapsed once more, but this time on his face. He struggled to sit upright, gasping, hearing Tigger's raucous laughter in his ears.

"I got ya again! Hoohoohoohooo!" The weight vanished and Terra's patience snapped.

He whipped around, his Keyblade in one hand. "Get back here you little ba—"

Quick as lightning, or maybe swift as the wind, Ventus seemingly glided across the ground and deftly knocked Terra's weapon away. "You can't hit them! They're like children." He scolded.

Crumpling under the combined might of Ven's glare and Aqua's withering glower, Terra mumbled, "I wasn't going to hurt him for real."

"Right." Aqua left it at that and addressed Piglet again, bending down to his level. "How do we get out of here, Piglet?"

"Y-You keep taking the path, you see." The tiny pig began. "And sooner or later, it e-ends, and no one knows what's beyond there!" He sounded terrified, but Terra guessed that if his world had an unexplained void, he'd be a bit frightened too.

"That must be it," Terra noted with satisfaction. "Let's go."

"Aw, I was having fun." Ven pouted.

Aqua exchanged a brief, seemingly secret glance with the youngest Keybearer before she said, "We _have _to go, anyway. The Master will wonder where we are."

"You'll come back, right, Ven?" Pooh asked as he stuck one honey slathered paw in his mouth.

"I'll try," he promised.

"Good. Whatever. Let's go." Terra fixed Tigger with a fierce look that he couldn't hold under the happy grin of the tiger. "I'll get you, just wait and see."

"Sure thing, buddy boy!" was the cheery response.

"Y-Yeah, come back to see Owl and Rabbit sometime!" Piglet added. "And Kanga and Roo, too!"

They all waved good bye, and Terra set off at the head of their group, his stride purposeful. Noticing Aqua's disapproving look, he objected quickly. "I wasn't going to hurt them!"

She just nodded and looked straight ahead.

"It's actually a nice place," noted Ven with a wistful smile.

Terra grunted. Even he wouldn't argue that.

The road took them out of the forest and into a strange white barrier that seemed to fight against them. When they breached it, a brightly shimmering light engulfed the trio and they emerged out of the book in a loosely scattered formation of legs, arms, and armor.

"Well, well, well."

Terra blanched and sat up straight as Aqua and Ven did the same. Eraqus was looking down at them, frowning sternly. He bent to pick up the book before placing it back on the brown wrapping paper.

"This was my f—"Ventus began immediately, but Eraqus waved it aside.

"No matter. Nothing was harmed, and I'm sure the wood creatures enjoyed a visit. Merlin will do what he can to get this book back to Christopher Robin."

The threesome didn't know what to say, so they just nodded.

"Now, go rest. Don't expect to get extra hours after the stunt you pulled." Eraqus didn't sound angry in the slightest, and the relieved apprentices made their way out.

Eraqus lightly grabbed Terra on the shoulder as he passed, at the rear of the line. "Maybe I should send you in there more often to learn patience and the value of fun."

Terra's face heated as he realized that their Master had been watching the whole time.

As he departed, the oldest disciple couldn't help thinking that Eraqus had planned this from the start.

~***~

_**Okay, don't worry, if you didn't like this chapter. I'm making an effort to make each chapter different and unique, and maybe we'll throw in some world visiting. We'll see. There probably won't be more Winnie the Pooh chapters unless you guys just want some, which I doubt, though I liked writing this.**_

_**All right. Let's get to the main bit. Firstly, I've had people ask for both TerraxAqua and VenxAqua. I do not know if I can put **_**both**_** of them in here. Dani-Chan, whom this oneshot collection is for, favors TerraxAqua, so it has a strong chance of at least being hinted in here.**_

_**However…well, if enough voices ask for VenxAqua, I may change my mind. So all of my reviewers—and I love you all very much XD—please, please, **_**please**_** drop a review and let me know if you want TerraxAqua or VenxAqua, or no pairings at all.**_

_**Someone is bound to ask: "You're the author. What do you want?" Well I don't know. When the English version of Birth by Sleep comes out, I will judge character interaction and then pick one from there. They're both what-and-what to me. I will see if I can make both work but I don't know…I'll write an oneshot perhaps for the pairing not featured here.**_

_**Anyway, sorry for the late update. School, and the fact that my dad came back from Iraq this week. Safe and sound.**_

Okay, don't forget to drop a review!_** It's actually important this time, and I will do my best to incorporate everyone's ideas into this oneshot collection!**_


	6. Control

_~*.*Disciples of the Keyblade*.*~_

**Title:**_ Control_

**Rating: **K+ for safety.

**Warnings: **A teen getting hurt. Poor teen.

**Characters:** Master Eraqus, Ventus, Aqua, Terra

**Summary:** The trio discovers the fine art of Keyblade Riding and its benefits—provided they survive in one piece. Pre-BBS.

**Special Notes:** My apologies for taking so long, **UnVeRsEd**! Yes, this prompt is brought to you by the lovely UnVeRsEd. My only excuses are school and laziness. I had a great deal of fun writing this, I hope you all enjoy! Also, more on the pairing issue at the bottom.

~***~

It was a clear, beautiful day in the Land of Departure. The sky was a breathtaking blue, no mist had crept in from the mountains, and the sun was releasing just enough heat to keep it warm without it being hot, accompanied by a gentle breeze from the west.

A perfect day, Eraqus had resolved, to teach his apprentices the fine art of Keyblade Riding.

Aqua was outside of the gold and white castle performing stretches, keeping an eye on Ventus and Terra as the other two did the same. The athletic girl performed a cartwheel, pushing off of the springy grass, coming to a halt in front of the youngest disciple.

"You only do that because we can't," Ven said with a grin, folding his arms behind his head.

"Of course not!" Aqua put on an expression of shock.

"Yes, you do. You flip more than you walk." Terra snorted, straightening from his stretch, smirking.

Aqua shrugged indifferently, pondering whether or not it would be worth it to trade witty banter with her friend. Luckily her problem was solved as Eraqus came out of the castle and approached them, smiling faintly.

"Good morning!" Ven waved cheerily before remembering his manners and adding, "Master."

Eraqus nodded and waited until the others had finished their greetings before beginning. "Today, I think we'll do something besides combat practice and magical defense. True, what I am about to teach you still traces its roots to magic, but only for the incantation needed to summon your Rides."

"Our Rides?" Ven echoed incredulously.

"Yes, Ventus. I am about to teach you what makes it possible for Keybearers to travel between the worlds."

Ven opened his mouth, shut it, and instead raised his hand.

"No, we're not world traveling today."

The hand was still in the air. Aqua stifled a giggle and Terra turned his head, hiding his smile.

"_Yes_, Ventus?" Eraqus sighed.

"You mean these Rider things can fly?"

"How else are they going to cross worlds? Walk?" Terra scoffed, rolling his eyes.

Ven bristled. "Hey, I'm just asking questions!"

"Quit it you two," Aqua scolded, still trying to conceal her grin.

Master Eraqus rubbed his forehead for two seconds, eyes closed, before growling, "All of you stop." When silence reigned once more, he continued. "All your questions will be answered once we actually begin our exercise. Not every Keybearer can perform this spell, but I believe you three are capable of such a feat. Now everyone, watch." He removed his own glittering silver Keyblade and tossed it in the air, eyes closed briefly as he concentrated. In a burst of white light, a strange craft settled down about three feet away from him, to the right in the clearing just outside the castle.

The vehicle was roughly triangular, with the nose of the vessel ending in a sharp point, like a sword-tip. The ship was a dark silver-gray, with a thin seat in the middle and two handles not unlike those of a motorcycle. Spikes from the craft faced outwards as if to detour anyone that came too close, and right underneath the metal frame, two metallic turrets were facing forward.

In short, the thing was sleek, sharp, and positively oozing a deadly radiance.

A chorus of "Whoa!" soon followed, where even Terra didn't know what to say. Aqua took a tentative step forward to inspect the vessel, azure eyes gleaming.

"That's _awesome_!" Ven punched a fist in the air and immediately raced to the side of the craft, touching its edges.

Eraqus let his apprentices examine his Ride for a minute, noting how even the composed Terra seemed utterly enthralled at the sight. He waved them away when the time had expired and instead stepped onto his vehicle, settling into its seat. "When you three try this, I want your armor on at all times. Understand?"

They nodded obediently, but as usual, Ventus had a question. "But Master, why don't _you_ have your armor on?"

"I've ridden these since before you were born." Eraqus smiled a little. "You don't have to wear your protective gear when you gain some experience. Now watch. And learn." He tightened his grip on the handles and kicked the device into high gear. It lifted into the air smoothly with a spectacular roar, bright ivory fire somehow not singeing the grass. He ducked and dove, wove and flew, looped and spun around the golden chains of the castle and past mountain peaks. The Ride seemed to obey his every command flawlessly, performing impossible stunts with a finesse that machines should not have been capable of doing.

Whipping around the vessel, Eraqus hovered close to the ground and pressed two fingers to a few buttons on the handles. From the small barrels of the guns placed on the bottom of the spiked metal bands, twin beams of bluish white emitted from somewhere within, completely decimating a large boulder. The stone shards blasted everywhere, clattering to the ground in a flurry of brown debris. Aqua quickly threw a crystalline, transparent shield around them so the rocks wouldn't hurt the trio of protégés.

"Whoa!" The disciples repeated, completely captivated.

Without seemingly pressing any buttons or levers, Eraqus caused the spiked metal bands on the front of his Ride to unravel themselves and dart forward, hacking a small sapling to the ground in one slice, as easily as if the tree had been wet paper.

Plunging so high into the skies that Aqua and the others lost sight of him, Eraqus descended in a sky diving spiral before coming to a halt one inch above the earth. He calmly stepped off of the craft and flicked his hand. The ship vanished in a bolt of white energy that flowed into his hand before forming his simple, skeleton key-like Keyblade, which he also dismissed a moment later.

Silence. Then:

"Master, wow, that was amazing!"

"We're going to learn _that_? What are we waiting for?"

"Incredible work, I'm impressed, Master!"

Eraqus chuckled softly. "Yes, you are going to learn that. I don't recommend, no matter what you may think, using your Rides for no apparent reason. They are not toys, they are dangerous devices only used for world traveling and nothing else. Understood?"

"Completely, Master." Aqua dipped her head as did the others.

"Then let me teach you how to summon them." Eraqus took a deep breath before launching into the inner workings of the spell. Apparently it wasn't like Firaga or Curaga even, which meant no words such as "Fire!" or "Heal!" were necessary. It wasn't a voice activated spell, rather, one had to summon their Keyblades and toss them somewhere, preferably up and a little to the side—"Unless you want a ship to materialize on your hand."—and, in a matter similar to calling their weapons in the first place, they then had to say the words of magic in their heads before the Keyblade hit the ground, with the proper energy behind it.

That was putting it simply. To say the least, even Aqua was having trouble grasping the concept, and she was the magical expert of the group.

Slamming her shoulder piece, causing a brief, transparent green digital animation to swirl, Aqua changed into her armor. The silver-blue material was strong and durable, almost unbreakable, thin and made perfectly just for her. (The benefits of magic.) Regardless it still added a few pounds of metal, and before she had learned proper balance, the whole suit used to throw her attacks off due to its extra weight. Terra and Ven were doing the same on either side of her.

After ten minutes of tossing her Keyblade around and trying to understand the spell, Aqua was the first to succeed, which surprised no one, least of all Master Eraqus.

The ship came to a stop right in front of her; naturally drawn to her like her Keyblade was if someone tried to snatch it from her grip. Aqua quickly glanced at her mentor, and when he just nodded once, she examined the ship with a curious eye.

It was also triangular, and the same color as her armor, a blue-silver. The nose of the craft was sharply pointed, with a sapphire gem cresting the top, glowing faintly. The frame was sturdy and of medium width, crossed by two thicker gray bars for support. The wings were swept back and thick in comparison to the slim structure of the vessel, edged with spikes and pointed barbs facing outwards. Blue fire danced, contained in an almost perfect oval, on the tips of the wings. Directly behind the seat, with the controls connected to the wings on either side, a sharp half-circle the color of metallic snow protected the back.

"Wow, Aqua!" Ven was the first to break the silence, forgetting the Keyblade he had just thrown into the air. He approached the craft, but before he got too close, his weapon came back down straight on Terra's head, luckily handle first.

Terra looked like he was going to swear, but Eraqus had a strict no profanity policy. He instead clenched his head and stalked around, growling and muttering a stream of words, kicking Ven's Keyblade to the side.

"Oh! Sorry, Terra!" Ven scrambled back to help his friend, and Aqua shook herself out of her stunned reverie, stepping onto the device. As soon as her fingers closed around the handles, she felt almost like an electric current had gone through her. Everything about the ship she was now acutely aware of, including the wings, the thin but powerful cannons on the front, and the strength of the engine fire. She knew instantly that the front; triangular part could be rearranged to form a more precise aiming system than just rapidly shooting out laser beams, almost like a gun turret.

It was all very surprising.

But, Aqua allowed herself to think, so _cool_!

Without further ado, she gripped the handles and spiraled straight upwards, seeing the world through the magically transparent visor. The fact she could look out perfectly through her helmet only worked on her end, anyone else looking at her face would only see her blue armor.

The craft responded perfectly to her every thought, like an extension of her body, like how her Keyblade felt like an extension of her arm. The Ride spiraled effortlessly through the sky, around tall rocks and under or above the great golden chains. She flew straight up to the top of the castle, spun around its tip, and then descended so fast that she almost lifted out of her seat. She pulled up at the last instant, feeling giddy, smiling inside of her helmet as the engine backwash almost swept Terra off of his feet. Aqua caused her Ride to spin around like a top, going right under Ven's Keyblade as it went up for the umpteenth time that day.

She had only just cleared it when his weapon burst into his own Ride. She performed a loop the loop and came to an almost instant stop by his side. Removing her helmet for a minute, Aqua shook her hair loose and looked curiously at Ventus's craft.

It was quite unlike hers or Eraqus's, being dark gray and gold. The nose of the vehicle, like hers, had a gem on the front, though his was a radiant green. It also wasn't quite so pointed, more round. Two gray wings, starting nearer the end than the front, flared back dramatically, ribbed with an underside of bright yellow. He had one engine housing a large blue ball of fire, but there was strangely no seat, just a flat surface on the top. Undeterred, Ven gave an energetic shout and leaped straight onto the middle, which was covered with intricate, thin silver designs and swirls.

He put his arms out, readjusted his helmet briefly, and said, "Catch me if you can, Aqua!" He took off instantly as if his ship was a mere skateboard, climbing into the sky with a shimmering streak of cerulean left behind. She placed her own helmet back on and followed, a part of her wondering how he could be pointed straight up and not be falling, secretly fearing what might happen if he _did _fall.

Ventus wasn't frightened, soaring upside down and waving at her, and Aqua decided magic must be holding him in place, accelerating to his speed. Ven gave her a high five upside down before dropping into a perilous nose dive.

They were side by side, falling past the clouds, when someone blasted in between them, almost knocking Aqua and Ven off of their Rides.

Aqua got a good look at the triumphant Terra's craft. Patterned with gold and brown, the tail end of the vessel lifted upward and split into two peaks, the ship was forwarded by a bright red crystal and protected on either side by scythe-like blue blades that turned inwards and jutted out on either side of the nose. Terra was leaned over the controls and his seat like someone riding a space faring motorcycle, his engine spitting out a constant purple blaze.

"Took you long enough!" Ven called over the sound of the fire.

"I was only a minute behind you! And my brains were scrambled thanks to a certain Keyblade to the head!" Terra shot back, obviously mad but with no real venom in his voice.

Aqua remarked, "It took you _both_ long enough! I was here for almost fifteen minutes."

"You're just smart," Ven waved aside the comment. "So that's normal. But I beat Terra!" With that he spun around and blasted off as Terra growled and set off in pursuit.

Aqua decided to stop them before they killed themselves—in case Terra "accidentally" unleashed the considerable power of his cannons.

Watching the three streaks of light, blue and purple, sail off through the clouds and sky, Eraqus sat down to mediate.

He'd have to teach them to open portals soon to get to other worlds, and how to fight whatever they may encounter on the way. Space wasn't a friendly place. But they needed to familiarize themselves with their vessels anyway, so why not let his pupils enjoy a friendly competition with each other? He'd know if any of them injured themselves.

Already several miles away, Aqua, Terra, and Ven were skydiving, seeing who would dare pull up first.

~***~

**_How was it? I have to thank YouTube for helping me find the videos I needed to examine the Keyblade Rider thing. Rather fun to write and see. Hope I did it right, UnVeRsEd!_**

**_Anyway. On the pairing issue, I might just play the neutrality card and keep them as friends. Why? Well I'll just tick off half of you guys for picking one pairing and not another, and I never intended for pairings to be in here anyway. However, one reviewer did note that I have apparent hints of VenxAqua in here. I looked. Maybe Aqua has a soft spot for Ven—who doesn't? XD—and maybe Ven was a little more hurt by her laughter for example, but that could be taken as friendship, right?_**

**_I think…_**

**_I'll dwell on the pairing issue for a while, but until then, neutrality is what I'm going for. _**

**_If you can't tell, Aqua is my favorite BBS character. XD_**

**_Thanks very much to everyone that has reviewed, put this on story alert, and favorites!_**


	7. Cooperation

_~*.*Disciples of the Keyblade*.*~_

**Title:**_ Cooperation_

**Rating: **T for safety.

**Warnings: **A rather unfortunate fall. Why must they get hurt? Why?! Minor blood.

**Characters:** Aqua*, Terra*, Ventus, Master Eraqus

**Summary:** Aqua and Terra are sent into the country to look for…"What are we looking for again?" Pre-BBS.

**Special Notes:** Didn't I promise they'd be in pairs at some point? I'll be doing oneshots for both Terra and Ven along with Aqua and Ven also. Not as pairings, though you might see hints as I attempt to placate you people. _The *s mean they're the main stars of the show._

~***~

The Land of Departure was brilliantly sunny and warm as usual, accompanied by a cooling mountain breeze. Supposedly, if one could either fly, had superpowers that let them see from up above, or happened to be a bird, there was a chance you could spot two figures making their way around the lip of a valley that dropped down to an alarmingly deep abyss.

Terra and Aqua, apprentices to Master Eraqus, had the immense displeasure of being stuck in the wilderness until they found "it". Apparently it was part of some lesson neither of the two understood. To stave off boredom, both of the disciples were wandering around. Not too far from their camp, granted, but they had already been out for almost two days and pretty much knew the terrain well enough to not get hopelessly lost.

Brushing his spiky mane of brown hair back, Terra grumbled, "What are we looking for again?" He didn't like her. He had never liked her. This new girl that had only been here for a handful of months and she was already doing better than him in most of their training. She was more annoying than that new kid, Ventus. At least Ven wasn't so darn _perfect_.

He glanced over his shoulder to see how she was holding up—he wished she would be looking tired, but no, of _course_ not—and saw the blue haired girl picking her way delicately and quickly over the boulders with a warrior's finesse.

_Show off_, Terra thought resentfully.

"Master Eraqus said we would know 'it' when we saw 'it'." Aqua made quotations with her fingers, pausing to survey the environment from their current position. Terra did the same.

On their left, a terrifying drop plunged down from the cliff and faded from their sight, as empty as the night sky without the stars and moon. Plants drooped towards its hungry mouth as if they were being sucked in, or their life was being stolen from them every second they stood near the darkness.

Shivering slightly, Terra directed his eyes elsewhere.

In front of them was the decently wide lip of the valley, dotted with green foliage and bright flowers that glittered a dozen different colors, curved around the mountain before gently sloping to flatter ground that gradually widened out to a large plain. Trees sprung up and thickened until a forest formed on the far end of the meadow. The sun struck some type of mineral in the stone that generated faint white sparkles, and occasionally animals stirred just out of sight. There was a strip of blue sky visible above their heads, dotted with thin streaks of white cloud.

"This is ridiculous. How are we supposed to find 'it'?" Terra broke the silence, striding off down the path immediately without waiting to hear Aqua's reaction. He heard her footsteps behind him as she ran to catch up.

"I don't know," she admitted. "We can only wait and see. I don't want to go back empty handed."

"Me either," Terra agreed. A part of him wanted to gloat that _finally_ Aqua didn't know what to do. But he didn't either, which kind of ruined the would-be "victory".

They were on the very edge of the wood boundary now, and Terra froze in surprise when he felt Aqua's grip on his arm. "Wait."

"What?" He sighed, turning partially to face her. _Now_ what did she want?

"I don't think we should go into the forest. Who knows what's in there? We should go back."

Terra smirked. "Scared, are we?" What annoyed him the most was that the girl refused to be baited.

"No," Aqua replied evenly, though her azure eyes hardened faintly. "I just don't think we should go in."

"Suit yourself." Terra started walking again, heading straight for the woods, shrugging out of Aqua's hold.

"Wait! Master Eraqus said we need to stick together!" The girl sounded slightly startled, as if the idea of breaking rules had never even formed itself in her mind.

_Probably not, the goody-two shoes._ "Then c'mon, what are you waiting for?" Terra called mockingly, ducking under a branch and entering the shadowy depths of the trees.

There was a four second pause, just four heartbeats, before Aqua started after him. She hissed crossly, "We need to stay together!"

"We are," Terra remarked, climbing up a steep wooded slope. The sunlight barely punctured the forest, and even the eldest disciple found himself somewhat uneasy. But he wouldn't leave until the girl practically begged him to. Surely she was more frightened than he was?

There was also the chance that she was stubborn, and they'd just get stuck in here forever…

They trudged along in silence, lost and not even sure what they were searching for, when a storm clap was heard overhead.

"Thunder," commented Aqua. She brushed her light blue hair from her eyes. "Can we go back now?"

"Do you think we need to? Scared of a little rain, are we?"

"We're in unfamiliar territory," she shot back unexpectedly. "And I for one don't want to be stuck in here during a lightning storm."

"This seems like the perfect place to hide something," Terra retorted sharply. "We're staying. Deal with it."

Aqua huffed angrily, coming to a halt. "What's your problem?"

Terra stopped and turned slowly to face her. "What's my _problem_? What's my _problem_? You're not listening to me!"

The girl seemed taken aback. "What?" She asked quietly.

"I'm the oldest here. The oldest apprentice. I know what I'm doing. Don't think for an instant that only because you're Eraqus's new favorite that you know more than I do!"

Silence, except for Terra's harsh breathing.

"You're jealous." Aqua said softly.

Terra blinked and let his frame slacken. He gave her a questioning look.

"I didn't mean to…be his favorite or anything…I just want to be the best Keybearer I can be." She turned her eyes away from his. "I'm sorry."

Terra, inexplicably, felt even _more _furious now. "Look," he growled. "You're just so perfect that you can't even get angry with me! Get mad. Yell. I'm being a freaking jerk and you're just…calm and…" He felt his fury dwindling as she just looked at him.

Aqua raised her eyebrows and to his astonishment, there was a twinkle of amusement in her eyes. "Why would I get mad?"

Turning around, he roughly shoved past her. "Let's go back."

Unfortunately he had pushed too hard, and with a gasp of surprise, Aqua broke several tree branches as she fell backwards. The black noir that was the forest had shrouded the perilous drop just beyond a cluster of brambles, and it seemed the middle apprentice would fall to her possible death.

Terra lunged forward and caught her, wrapping his fingers around her wrist. _There_ was the fear he had been looking for earlier, her eyes wide as she struggled to find her footing. She braced herself against the walls of the sudden cliff and stared up at Terra.

"Don't let go," Aqua pleaded. It was obvious he wouldn't, but he knew where she was coming from. He was glad at that moment to be the strongest protégé, straining his muscles; he hauled her back up to safety.

They just looked at one another, lying on the forest floor, for almost two minutes. Aqua broke her gaze away, pulling a spiky thorn vine from her arm to reveal several jagged cuts. Terra quickly removed the rest of the briars and said quietly, "Sorry. For everything."

"It's okay." Aqua blinked. "Thanks for…the rescue." She smiled then, and Terra dipped his head and did the same.

With a soft hiss, a gentle, cleansing rain cascaded down on the two former rivals.

"Let's get going. We should probably find somewhere to shelter until the rain stops." Terra stood up and helped Aqua to her feet as they began picking their way back in the same direction they had come from. Aqua let him lead, and he looked back occasionally to see if she was okay. The fall had only scraped her arms and legs. It seemed she wasn't bothered by the minor cuts and bruises, eyes glinting in the shadows as she pursued him.

They didn't speak much, but Terra thought something had changed. He didn't feel annoyed or angry with her anymore. It was hard to, after how she had easily forgiven him for such unfair treatment. They came across a small clearing that opened up beside one of the many mountains in the Land of Departure. The duo took shelter in a cave, sitting beside one another, not hungry or thirsty in the slightest for some unknown reason. The pair sat close together, their shoulders just barely touching, listening to the storm.

"Aqua?"

She hummed in response, staring off into the rain shower.

"Sorry. Again."

She laughed a little. "It's okay. If I was in your position, I'd be annoyed too."

Terra closed his eyes and leaned back against the cool stone wall, thinking about what "it" could possibly be. It struck him then, what "it" was, and he grinned to himself. "That would be just like Eraqus," he muttered aloud.

He stiffened in surprise when he felt something, and then he realized Aqua had simply fallen asleep, her head resting on his unarmored shoulder. Terra smiled slightly and let himself relax.

He knew what "it" was. And since he had gotten them into this mess, he'd get them out.

~***~

After almost two hours, Terra's intuition had proven correct. The pair of Keybearers in training successfully found their way out of the forest, back to the valley with the seemingly endless drop. Aqua stayed well away from the edge, and he wondered if she possibly had a fear of heights now.

The duo stopped back at their previous encampment, not far from the castle where Eraqus and Ven were, to collect their supplies.

"Why did we leave this stuff here?" Aqua voiced her thoughts out loud, though it was hard to tell if the question was rhetorical.

"Because we're idiots. Oh, wait." Terra felt a blush creep onto his face. "I think you were going to bring it…but I sort of…"

"You told me to hurry up. And you kept walking ahead so…"

"Yeah." Coughing, Terra took Aqua's bag as if that would make up for it and started in the direction of home. He heard her chuckle softly before following.

The oldest disciples had never been happier to arrive at the castle. They found Ven outside, waving his Keyblade around as he practiced with a training dummy. He dropped his weapon in surprise when he spotted them. "Hey, guys!" The youngest apprentice ran over and grinned, looking them up and down. "You guys are a mess."

"Thanks," Terra said sourly. Aqua just smiled.

Eraqus stood up from his meditative position. He had been watching Ventus's progress from the outside of the practice area. "You have returned." He looked at Ven. "Shouldn't you get back to your exercise?"

"Right, Master." Ven picked up his Keyblade again, but it was obvious that he was listening.

"Master, I've found 'it'." Terra noticed Aqua looking at him curiously. When they had left for the castle, he had simply told her that he knew what "it" was, but hadn't gone into specifics.

"Really?" Eraqus stroked his chin thoughtfully. "Elaborate."

"Cooperation. You sent me and Aqua out there to bond, didn't you? It worked."

A rare smile split their Master's face. "Terra, you continue to surprise me. That is _exactly_ why I told you two to travel together."

Aqua seemed pleased, and she said to Terra, "Nice job."

"Yes, indeed. Both of you should go to your rooms to clean up. You have some time off before I start your next training session."

Both apprentices dipped their heads. "Yes, Master."

As the pair went off to the castle, Eraqus added, "Oh, Ventus?"

The golden haired protégé stopped mid-swing. "Yeah?"

"Work on your eavesdropping. I would think that anyone attacking in slow motion was up to something."

~***~

_**Yes, I think some people have asked for a chapter with Terra and Aqua? Notably Kiome-Yasha. Here we have it. How was it?**_

**_The funny thing about this oneshot collection...My friend Dani-chan asked if I could do a BBS story. I couldn't really think of a good "What If" thing which I love doing, therefore I started this random little series for her. Still for Dani-Chan-Sprite-Monster-13- as always._**

_**Anyway, thanks to all reviewers, and I hope you continue to review. They make me happy beyond all measure!**_


	8. Courage

_~*.*Disciples of the Keyblade*.*~_

**Title:**_ Courage_

**Rating: **K+ for safety.

**Warnings: **Some violence.

**Characters:** Ventus*, Terra*, Aqua, Master Eraqus, Baloo, Bagheera, Shere Khan

**Summary:** Ven tried to tell himself that taking a silver trinket from a man eating tiger would be no problem. To someone like the King maybe, but to an apprentice?! Pre-BBS.

**Special Notes:** Forgive me if I'm wrong, but I believe it was **RawkstarVienna** that suggested the trio could be traveling to other worlds. So here we have it! Trying to make it somewhat canon as I usually do. I'm a fan of in-universe/canon style stories before any Alternate Universes.

~***~

Ventus hacked apart a heavy tree limb, shoving past another branch and accidentally sending it snapping back, almost hitting Terra. Luckily the eldest apprentice ducked out of the way in time before it could hit his head.

"Remind me again," he grumbled. "Why Aqua isn't here in this God forsaken jungle looking for this silver trinket Eraqus has hid from us."

"She's doing 'special magic training'." Ven gave his friend a cheery grin. "Besides, I thought she passed this test already."

"Right." Terra gave the surrounding area a thorough search, pushing aside large leaves damp with the recent rain. The air here seemed constantly humid. A rain forest of some kind?

Ven leaned against a tree and said after a few minutes, "I don't think the Master actually _hid_ the thing we're looking for."

"Really. Where would it be, then?"

"Somewhere dangerous, I bet. But not too dangerous. I mean…" He ducked his head, nervous under Terra's scrutinizing stare. "It's somewhere, possibly hard to get…but not hidden?" He offered weakly.

Terra sighed so hard that the tips of his spiky hair rustled. He had been doing that more and more lately. He placed a comforting hand on the youngest protégé's shoulder and said gently, "Let me do the thinking, Ven. Okay? I'm the oldest here. I know _exactly _what I'm doing."

Ventus blinked then scowled somewhat. _Terra can pull the "eldest" card all he wants. Doesn't mean he's better than me._ Aqua had told him that often, and in her more vain moments she would say she was better than Terra at a lot of things. Ven fancied he had ideas just as good as Terra, but his admiration for the person he considered his brother stilled his tongue.

"Of course," he said simply. "Lead the way."

Terra grunted and shoved through the branches, trampling wet ferns and colorful flowers dappled with dew underfoot. Ven followed wordlessly, springing around the pretty big red and orange blossoms that seemed to grow from the limbs of every tree they passed. A monkey swung away, loudly chattering, apparently putting Terra on edge.

"Anything could jump us here Ven," he said with a cautious glance around them. "Lions. Tigers. Bears."

"Oh my," Ven muttered.

An abrupt, loud growl sounded from above them. The pair froze.

"Was that your stomach?" The youngest disciple joked feebly.

Terra's face had gone pale and he looked around, Keyblade already in hand. "No."

"Oh, no worries. It was just mine," quipped a voice from above.

Ventus inclined his head back and gasped, seeing an enormous dark gray-blue bear peering down at him. It dropped down heavily, yawning hugely, revealing two rows of sharp teeth. The apprentice took several hasty steps back, but despite himself he couldn't help but exclaim, "Wow!" Swiftly remembering there was a _bear_ in front of him—capable of speech and therefore reasoning, as Aqua would put it—he added, "Hey there!"

The bear blinked at him and waved a large paw, rearing up on its hind legs. "Well, what do we have here? It's two man cubs that can understand me, too!" He warily eyed Terra's Keyblade, but luckily it wasn't exactly pointed at him. Terra seemed a bit hesitant about what to do next. "I had been asleep you see, looks like my stomach woke me up." Casually, as if nothing was amiss, the bear reached up and tugged down a grape vine, snagging the purple fruit off and taking several huge bites, demolishing one bunch in a few seconds.

Ven exchanged a brief look with Terra before deciding to speak. "Who are you?"

"My name's Baloo. Who're you?" The bear's voice sounded gargled due to the food in his mouth.

Terra must have decided Baloo wasn't a threat, hungry or not. He dismissed his Keyblade and replied, "I'm Terra, and this is Ven. We're looking for a sort of silver pendant, a trinket, somewhere here in the jungle. We're, ah, training."

"Training for what?" Baloo inquired, sitting down and looking at their clothes curiously.

"We're Keyblade apprentices!" Ven piped up cheerily. He felt very proud to be one, thank you very much. His earliest memories had everything to do with the Keyblade.

A strange look settled on the bear's face. "Keyblade…" He nodded thoughtfully. "That explains your weird get up. No man cubs look like that 'round these parts."

"Look, have you seen anything silver or not?" Terra snapped, annoyed. "We're wasting time."

"Relax. Take a look at the _necessities_ of things. Whatever you're doing, I'm sure it ain't the end of the world if you take your time." Baloo yawned and tossed a grape bunch to Ven, who popped one in his mouth. Terra shot him a glare that the boy ignored.

"We're _training_ to _stop_ a possible end of the world!" Terra declared, looking a little smug.

"Possible," Baloo remarked so skeptically that the eldest Keybearer began to fume silently.

Ven half wished Aqua was here. She was one of the few people that could stop Terra from working himself up into one of his fits. On the other hand, he wanted to impress her for the challenge…that they had to get back to.

"Baloo, we're not exactly timed, but speed is better for our test. Have you seen any odd silver trinkets? Items? Baubles?" Ventus tried being polite, like he knew Aqua would. He tried to take pointers from the both of them, but the older apprentices' values and mannerisms clashed often.

The bear wrinkled his snout. "Only weird thing I've seen 'round lately would be this sort of silver heart. Had a tiny design on it, didn't see properly." A careless shrug. "Don't matter none, though."

"Why not?" Terra asked impatiently, obviously resisting the urge to roll his eyes.

"Look, don't spend your time looking around…for something you want that can't be found," suggested Baloo. Something about his dark eyes told Ven he knew where the trinket was.

"Where is it? Please. It's important."

Sighing at the youngest apprentice, the bear answered truthfully. "Shere Khan found it. It's with him, no doubt." He said it dramatically, obviously expecting a reaction. He didn't really get what he anticipated.

"Where's this 'Shere Khan'?" Terra scoffed.

"Right now? Sleepin', not wanting to be disturbed no doubt. He's a man eater; even you two might have trouble with him. Do yourself a favor and stay away." The lazy bear leaned back and looked like he was going to fall asleep again.

Terra snarled, "_Where is he_? If we die then—"

"Baloo? Who's there?" A different voice called nearby.

Terra's palm met his face. "Oh for the love of—"

A black panther slid out of the trees and noticed the two humans and the bear. He surprised Ven by not raising his hackles or growling, instead he just asked, "What's going on here?"

"These two want to steal Khan's new pretty bauble." Baloo shook his head mournfully.

"What!? No, don't. Believe me, even if you two are…" He looked the students up and down. "Travelers from somewhere far beyond this jungle. Shere Khan is nothing but trouble, fears nothing but man's gun and man's fire. You'll get killed!"

"Thanks for the concern." Terra said flatly. "But either tell us, or we'll go find someone who will."

"What if they run into Kaa? Or King Louie?" The panther fretted to Baloo. "I think you two would be better off just leaving," he added gently.

"We can't. Please, c'mon…um…" Ventus gave the panther an expectant look.

"Bagheera. Who are you?"

"I'm Ven and he's Terra. Please, Bagheera, it's important for our training. Then we'll be out of your hair…er, fur, for good. We're great runners and fighters and I promise we'll leave if this tiger proves too much. Okay?"

Bagheera looked unhappy. He looked from Terra's cold blue stare to Ven's pleading sapphire, then at Baloo. The bear shrugged, not speaking again. "Oh," moaned the panther, flicking his tail. "I'll take you to Shere Khan's current resting place, but we have to be quiet and _careful_. He doesn't like to be disturbed."

"Promise." Ven gestured to Terra and the pair followed the big black feline through the jungle.

"Little britches?" Baloo said suddenly. Ventus realized he was talking to him.

"Yeah?"

"Be careful, alright?" The bear smiled and there was nothing there but warm concern.

"Right." Ven waved cheerily and set off after his friends' retreating forms. He heard Baloo singing softly.

"_I mean the bare necessities, old Mother Nature's recipes, that bring the bare necessities of life…"_

~***~  
Bagheera's size didn't affect his stealth. He was almost a black shadow, completely soundless, moving quickly but quietly, frowning all the while. They had reached a dip in the forest and bamboo-like plants and trees, and in the tiny clearing, sleeping right out in a patch of sun, was a massive tiger. Its tail swished in its sleep.

Shere Khan.

"Now," Bagheera said so quietly that Ven had to lip read, his ears unable to pick up some of the words properly. "If Shere Khan has what you're looking for, it's probably under his paws. I don't know exactly how you plan to get it…"His whiskers drooped. "Will you not reconsider?"

Terra shook his head, speaking for Ventus also.

"Right." He sounded disappointed. "I'll leave you two here. I'll be close by, in the treetops. I can create a distraction if he comes after you." Bagheera obviously didn't like being near the tiger that was bigger than he was, and no doubt stronger, but his compassion for the duo kept him near. The panther nodded at them before leaping into the trees with a silent jump.

The pair of Keybearers retreated a little farther into the forest to be safe, watching Bagheera's black silhouette vanish into the leafy foliage above.

"Okay," Terra began after he had gone from their sight. "Look at his right paw. What do you see?"

Ven squinted through the jungle's mass and saw a flash of silver. Luckily the tiger was laying on his stomach, back and front legs stretched almost to their full lengths. Under the foot his friend had pointed out was a small silver heart, one corner poking to the side and thus visible beneath Shere Khan's claws.

"I see it. What now?"

"I'll create a distraction. You grab it." Terra explained. "We can take a single tiger." He sounded reasonably confident.

"I don't think we should kill him, though. Remember what Master Eraqus said about the world order?" Ventus slid his eyes to meet Terra's gaze.

"No meddling, so no killing," amended the eldest apprentice. "Just stay back. I'll make a sound, and you get the charm when he leaves it."

Ven shook his head. "This is a dumb plan."

"It's _one_ cat."

"But it's a _tiger_." He argued.

Terra narrowed his eyes but the novice interrupted him. "Let _me_ create a distraction. I run far faster than you."

Stubbornly, Terra growled quietly. "No way. I'm not allowing you to possibly get mauled by a tiger. And then Aqua would mangle _me_. And Eraqus would burn the pieces and feed the rest to Cerberus. _Then_ Aqua would find my soul in the Underworld and kill me again."

"I run faster," Ven repeated adamantly, not willing to back down. They squabbled for almost an hour, but the youngest disciple refused to be cowed, even when his idol grabbed the front of his shirt and hissed a direct order into his face.

"Fine!" Terra huffed, clearly reluctant. "Create a distraction. I'll snatch the heart. We're wasting time."

"You won't be stealing my heart, I should think."

Ven and Terra paled at the same time, hearing the purring voice behind them, deep like rolling thunder. They turned to see Shere Khan watching them, coming almost up to Terra's shoulder. If he was on his hind legs, he would be taller than any of the humans present.

"Imagine," continued the tiger lazily. "I awake from my nap, just a minute ago mind, and find two human snacks just for me." He coiled his striped tail over his shoulder, displaying the amulet hanging on the end. A silver heart with a Keyblade emblem inscribed on its surface. "I was informed by a charming lion—must have traveled far—that this was an ancient African good luck charm. And indeed it is. A meal, right to my door. Unarmed."

Terra growled, "That's what you think!" The Keyblade flashed to his grip with a wind chime peal and he brought it down in a glittering arc. Shere Khan was obviously stunned, but he recovered swiftly. Five inch long claws deflected the attack, creating sparks that glowed in the air like tiny fireflies for a few moments.

"He's strong!" Ven gasped, twisting his weapon until it rested comfortably in his grip, poised in his usual battle stance.

"I am," the tiger answered almost apologetically. He sprang with a furious roar, and Ventus raised his weapon to block. Three coconuts fell from the sky—the novice glimpsed Bagheera in the trees—and landed on Shere Khan's head. He collapsed, disoriented for a few seconds. That was all they needed.

Terra removed the silver trinket, chain and all, from the tiger's tail and put on a burst of speed, trampling undergrowth and anything else that got in the way. "C'mon, back to where we arrived, Ven!"

Ventus twisted around and followed, his heart pounding, adrenaline lending even more speed to his already impressive running pace. Shere Khan snarled in fury and barreled after them, monstrous claws tearing into the soil and plants with every paw step.

_Oh, _snap_._

Dodging, ducking, running, jumping, sliding. Everything blurred into a chaos of pure fear, following Terra's bounding form, listening to Bagheera's hurried directions…Ven hoped the panther wouldn't be in trouble for helping them, but maybe Shere Khan couldn't hear. The black cat was speaking very quietly, the words hard to catch, and they were creating quite a racket in the jungle.

They skidded into the clearing they had first arrived in, whipping around, twirling their Keyblades expertly. Shere Khan slowed down as he saw his prey seemingly cornered; their back to a rushing river. His breaths were hard and fast.

"Now, give me the luck charm and I'll kill you mercifully." The tiger demanded coldly.

_He has to be scared of something._

"You have ten seconds," Shere Khan taunted, yellow eyes gleaming. "One…"

_Wait, what did Bagheera say?_

"Four…"

Ventus thought hard, struggling to fight his fear. Fear was a lesson he had mastered already. It was a training procedure he knew he would never forget.

"Six…"

The words hit him, crystal clear. _"Shere Khan is nothing but trouble, fears nothing but man's gun and man's fire…"_

"Eight…"

_Well, we don't have a gun, except for our Riders. And we can't use those in normal combat, it's against the rules._

But they did have magic. He remembered Aqua's gentle tutorage—he had had trouble with the concept in the beginning. _"I know magic may seem a bit complicated Ven, but it's really not. The good thing about magical fire is that it can be controlled and won't rage out of control…You can master this. I know you can."_

"Ten. What's your choice?" Shere Khan finished, taking a step towards them.

Terra looked like he was going to take a swing at the tiger, or unleash some arcane flames. But Terra had a little issue with control, and they needed _precise_ control, or they could kill Shere Khan and upset the world order. Or worse.

_I wish Aqua was here._ Ven flexed his hands, dismissed his Keyblade, and lifted his right palm so that it faced the tiger.

"Oh, what now?" Shere Khan drawled, pausing out of interest.

"_Fire_!" A burst of orange flames roared out of his hand with the fierce intensity of a dozen furious felines. Shere Khan's confident fanged smile vanished to be replaced with a look of pure terror. With difficulty, Ven kept a mental check on the magic so it wouldn't ignite the jungle. The forest's natural dampness aided his progress. Terra caught on, took two deep breaths, and tossed a blazing blue fireball at the tiger that ignited a patch of his fur.

Shere Khan didn't speak, he just howled in pain and turned tail, charging away into the jungle.

Ven put out the flames and sighed. "Well. That could have gone smoother." He was exhausted from their wild run and the day in general. The sun was going down, he noticed absently for the first time.

Terra looked impressed. "You faced that tiger down."

"Yeah."

"And used fire in his face. Wow. Great work."

Warmed by the praise somewhat, Ventus punched his shoulder armor. The green digital display rotated before a glowing while veil placed him in his armor. He threw his Keyblade in the air and used what little energy he had left to turn it into his Rider. "Let's go home."

Terra pocketed the "good luck charm" and used his Keyblade to create a swirling white portal to the Land of Departure. He then switched his own armor on. "I hope we pass," he noted dryly.

~***~

Aqua opened her eyes when Ven and Terra deactivated their armor and Riders, standing up and running to them.

"There you are, I—"She stopped when she saw how tired Ventus looked. Surprisingly, she rounded on Terra and snapped, "Didn't I tell you to keep an eye on him? He looks like he's going to fall over any minute!"

Terra was taken aback. "It's not my fault he wanted to try and outrun a tiger!" He retorted.

"_Tiger? Outrun a tiger?_" Aqua echoed incredulously. She then turned angrier than she already was.

"Watch over me? I can handle myself," the youngest sulked. When he saw they weren't paying attention to him, he turned his attention elsewhere.

Ventus surveyed the middle apprentice instead and thought she looked tired and stressed. Maybe her own magic test had been harsher than he or Terra had thought.

Eraqus arrived unnoticed, until he spoke that is. "Well, well, well. There you are. Did you retrieve the token?"

Terra tore his glare from Aqua to hand the silver charm to his Master.

"Good work. You pass. Did Bagheera keep a good eye on you?"

"I—what? He did." Terra blinked.

Eraqus looked pleased. "Good. I picked that world because it had been a long time since I've used a transformation spell. Shere Khan looked strong but his fear of fire was something you could easily overcome."

"Transformation spell?" Ven echoed. "You mean the lion that gave him the charm in the first place…?"

"That was me. A skilled sorcerer can work that charm at any time. Regardless it is difficult to do, but we'll discuss its components later." Eraqus smiled kindly. "Well done, Ventus. Well done, Terra."

"Thank you," the pair of boys said at the same time.

Their Master instructed them to take a well deserved rest, checking for any wounds before departing. Terra sat down on the low wall with a thump and a sigh.

"Aqua," he commanded in a tone that could have been a joke or not. "When my world stops spinning, get me something to drink." He had rings under his eyes.

"How would she know when your world stops spinning?" Ventus asked curiously.

Aqua winked. "When he stops looking at me cross eyed."

"That's only because you're so beautiful. I can't look straight at you." Terra remarked. Aqua blushed and turned to walk quickly to the Castle. When she had gone, the eldest apprentice laughed. "She's shy, even after all these years."

"Kind of low of you to play off of that," Ven commented. "Especially since you're too lazy to get your own drink."

Terra shrugged, unperturbed as usual, and the novice sat down beside him, sighing wearily.

_One day,_ he vowed to himself silently, studying the stars. _I'll be strong enough so that Aqua won't have to ask Terra to watch me. I'll be able to handle _anything_._

He was both annoyed by her concern and touched at the same time. Common when it came to her.

~***~

_**Um. Right. Before anyone questions my weird descriptions of magic and its workings, I think there's a lot of things the game can't go into full detail on. I'm sure the world of; for example, Radiant Garden is much larger than we see. The game is limited to certain areas, the same I think, for when it comes to fine details. Like the exact working of magic, which could or could not be a simple command accompanied by some magic energy.**_

_**If that was the case, everyone would be as great as Master Yen Sid.**_

_**Regardless of my weird theory, want to drop a review? Sorry for the late update guys. I had a nasty stomach flu virus for a week. I'll try to get the next, starring Aqua and Ven, up a little sooner. I've already written a bit of it. Stars Camelot as the world and the Sword in the Stone.**_

**_I have not seen Jungle Book in years so forgive any OOC-ness._**

Still for Dani-Chan, always! =)


	9. Obedience

_~*.*Disciples of the Keyblade*.*~_

**Title:**_ Obedience_

**Rating: **K

**Warnings: **None, for once.

**Characters:** Aqua*, Ventus*, Terra, Master Eraqus, Arthur, Merlin, Various Knights

**Summary:** Oh, sure. Let's pull a magical blade from a rock and become King. You'll learn so much that way. Literally, as Aqua and Ven found out. Pre-BBS.

**Special Notes:** This was an idea from my brother. He thought it would be interesting to do this with either Ventus or Terra, and since I did Terra recently, Ventus gets the honor. My brother, **It's SO Wonderful**, this is for you!

~***~  
Aqua blinked the light from her eyes, just a little dazzled by the fading radiance as her armor vanished. They—that is, she and Ventus—had just emerged from a pathway between the worlds and had dismissed their Keyblade Riders. She pushed her blue hair from her eyes absently. If it was falling down like this into her vision, she needed to cut the bangs again. She preferred short hair.

It was cold, like Master Eraqus had warned them, and Aqua had prepared accordingly. She had a pale blue, almost white, winter jacket over her arms and had changed into warmer pants. Unfortunately she had to forsake gloves, having had forgotten them in her haste to get down to the training field after she had overslept just a little earlier that morning. A sky sapphire scarf was wrapped snugly around her neck.

The reason for this attire was mostly because of the snow. It sprinkled down in a thin veil, coating everything in ivory. The world seemed muffled and untouched; the churchyard they had appeared in was almost _deathly_ quiet. But it was just a little too _peaceful_ for that. Old gray stones rose around them, forming a large wall that enclosed the pair safely inside. The only two exits were a small collapsed portion of the ancient rock barrier and the actual worn down gateway itself. Behind her, Aqua espied the church. Large, archaic, foreboding just to look at. It lent the clearing a feeling of immense power. Aqua thought she could feel it, like an invisible wave crashing against her, pushing and pulling, overwhelming in its force. It could have been her imagination.

Or it could have been her sensitivity to magic. Aqua hoped it was the former.

She had almost forgotten Ven until he spoke.

"Aqua! Wow!" His excited voice broke the tranquil silence. "Check out this sword!" The blonde apprentice had raced to a sword in a stone that resided in the center of the churchyard. He stepped up onto the lower tier of the stone pedestal, its surface layered with frost and white particles. He rubbed his hands together, green scarf hanging wildly askew from his shoulders, eyeing the handsome blade.

The sword, Aqua thought, seemed to be the source of the _sensation_ that permeated the entire clearing. It had a golden handle with an elegant swirling design and a red stone set in the pommel. The blade itself seemed to have been folded and refolded an impossible amount of times, reinforcing it with a fierce strength. The gleaming steel surface appeared to glow white, its point buried deep into the black anvil in which it rested. Strange jagged shadows, cast by the winter-dead trees, seemed to reach like dark fingers for the sword, as if to hold it in place.

The sword _shone_, though there was no sun in the cloudy gray sky.

The middle apprentice stepped over to her friend. "Ven," she cautioned. "It's not ours. Why don't we go do what the Master said to do?"

Master Eraqus had sent them off to Camelot in order to perform two tasks. One, they were on a simple mission to find the magician Merlin and deliver a scroll of their Master's to him, magically sealed of course. They had strict orders to _not delay_. The other…well…apparently he wanted a word alone with Terra. The eldest disciple hadn't seemed pleased when they left.

Aqua had given him a swift, sympathetic hug and a hurriedly whispered promise to return soon. She knew he disliked being left behind, no matter what they were doing.

"Hurry back," Terra had muttered, glancing after her and Ventus.

The aforementioned golden haired protégé grinned. "Aw, c'mon Aqua! Doesn't it look…just so _cool_?"

"I don't like it though," Aqua replied. She stepped up to Ven's side and redid his scarf, wrapping it tightly and ignoring his indignant groan."Can't you feel it?"

Ven gave her a look that said, _"Have you lost your mind_?" His voice formed these words instead: "Feel what?"

"The…sort of…" Aqua shrugged, annoyed. Obviously he couldn't feel what she could. Maybe it _was_ only her imagination playing tricks on her. "Let's go, Ven." She put a little authority in her voice, something she didn't like to do, hoping her soft spot for the novice wouldn't betray her again.

Ven's smile wilted and he frowned sadly. "Finding Merlin will be _easy_. He's at the castle or something. Puh-_lease_ Aqua, let's just take a look around for a while."

She resisted in vain, because the next moment he flashed her his brightest, hopeful smile. _Darn him and his boyhood cuteness_, she thought unhappily. Ven was still at that age where he had a touch of a child to his features, and Aqua was always particularly sympathetic when it came to children. _Especially_ when it was him.

"All right, all right!" She gave in reluctantly, closing her eyes and missing Ven's smug grin of victory that would have made Terra proud. "But we're leaving the churchyard, and the sword." On this she was adamant. The blade was special and might have something to do with the world's order, though Master Eraqus hadn't warned her about any swords in a stone…

Ventus seemed to be weighing whether or not those were acceptable terms. With a nod, he took a step to follow Aqua as she hopped gingerly off of the icy pedestal.

The youngest apprentice did the same.

And slipped.

With a shout of surprise, his metal shoe sliding along the frosty stone, Ven instinctively reached his arm out and grabbed the first thing at hand. Aqua darted forward and caught him swiftly, steadying him.

"Oh, Ven," she gasped in surprise, seeing what he had done.

During his little mishap, Ventus had inadvertently grabbed the sword and tugged it free of its anvil. It rested there in his grip, shimmering with an iridescent glamour.

"Oh," he said simply, staring stupidly at the blade resting in his palms.

Aqua was about to suggest he put it back when a voice broke into the stunned silence.

"Hey, can I have that sword?!"

A boy with short blonde hair and dark eyes wearing an oversized red winter robe raced into the clearing, kicking up snow, his gaze fixed on the sword.

"Er—why?" Ventus asked.

"Give him the sword! It's probably his." Aqua hissed.

"It's not mine," objected the boy. "It's not anybody's I think."

Ven looked at the sword with an appreciative eye. "This could make a great gift for the Master, or Terra!"

Aqua bit her lip and watched as her friend got to his feet and looked down at the boy that seemed to be maybe twelve or thirteen, possibly even fourteen. Ventus was young, but not _that_ young.

"I need it for the Tournament," the boy pleaded, his eyes wide and nervous. At that moment, a tawny orange owl sailed in and began to hoot loudly.

"Hurry, Arthur! Kay needs that sword!"

"Yes, yes, I know." Arthur looked at Ventus, desperate. "Please, I'll make sure you get it right back when the Tournament is over! Please?"

Aqua exchanged a brief look with Ven, and then he shrugged and handed the glowing blade to the young boy. Arthur bobbed his head hurriedly in thanks before racing out of the churchyard with the owl in pursuit.

A wide grin split Ventus's face. "Let's go see the Tournament, Aqua!" He pelted off, feet kicking up a shower of snow with every step, following the trail Arthur had left behind. Aqua heaved a sigh, following him quickly, sliding down a small slope and chasing after her friend. They entered a small forest, its trees uncomfortably bare, the sky a foggy gray, and the road coated with treacherous ice. Voices and shouts could be heard, carried by the wind, and it was in that direction that Arthur, the owl, and Ven headed. Aqua hung back a little, trying to get a good look at everything instead of charging blindly in. Only because the boy was friendly didn't mean everyone else was.

It almost looked like a large fairgrounds, with multiple pavilions that hoisted various colored pendants high, snapping loudly in the wind. Crowds were jostling one another as they studied a large clearing that wasn't set far from a corral, and armored men on proud horses surveyed everything with an imperious eye.

_The epitome of a male's violent tendencies,_ Aqua thought somewhat dryly, taking note that only men were bearing weapons. It was one of _those_ worlds then, the backwards kind where women didn't fight. She might be better off keeping quiet, or it would showcase how obviously she and Ven were not from Camelot.

Aqua snapped back to the situation at hand as Arthur ran up to a stern faced man that looked very much like a frowning gorilla. One shorter, fatter knight leaned forward and said something no one else could hear. The other knight responded with a, "It can't be!"

"Boy, where did you get that sword?" The taller man demanded.

"I-I-"Arthur stammered, trying to reply. His words seemed to lodge in his throat. "The clearing, over there, near that old church."

A stunned chorus from the onlookers. "It cannot be!" exclaimed several voices, echoing the first.

Ven, whom had been watching curiously at Aqua's side, stepped forward. "I drew it."

"Drew it? From within what?" scowled the stern faced knight.

"An anvil," Ven shrugged indifferently. Aqua wished he would shut up.

"Prove it, boy! Everyone, this way." The man strode off into the forest with the crowd on his heels. Once they reached the snow covered churchyard, he tapped the anvil. "From here?"

"Yeah," Ventus seemed confused. "So what?"

"Wart," the man snarled impatiently at Arthur. "Give me the sword."

_What a cruel nickname_, Aqua thought as "Wart" gave the blade to the man.

"What's your name?" inquired the knight. "The both of you."

"I'm Ven, and she's Aqua."

"I am Sir Ector, this is Kay," he pointed to another tall man with loose hair that looked older than Arthur, but younger than Ector. He put the sword back into its niche, then instructed everyone to try and draw it out.

All the knights tried, and the regular civilians, pushing and pulling and comically straining, but it didn't budge an inch. Aqua politely declined the offer to try and force it out, but Ven removed it again with ease, as did Arthur, when it was placed back in.

"Impossible," hooted the owl, Archimedes as Aqua found out. "_Two_ people can draw the Sword in the Stone?"

"Can Excalibur have two masters?" wondered one of the knights aloud.

"There's only one thing that can be done about this," snorted Ector. "Make the two fight, for the title King of England!"

Arthur paled in fright and Ven shook his head quickly, handing the boy the sword. "He can have it; I don't want to be King!"

"The sword has chosen you, and yet you don't _want_ to be King? What madness is this?" A man objected loudly, every movement causing his ample belly to bounce.

Aqua spoke up now. "We're not from around here, it wouldn't—"

"Woman, hold your tongue! I was addressing the boy!"

Aqua bristled, trying to calm down before she sliced the arrogant knight to pieces. Ven wasn't anywhere _near_ as tranquil, assuming a fighting stance and summoning his Keyblade.

"You can't talk to Aqua like that!" He growled, eyes narrowing to slits, his voice harsh with indignation, as if the insulting demand had been directed at him.

"What manner of sorcery is this?!" Ector cried, taking a step back. "He summons a sword from the very air itself!"

"We're Keybearers, and we're just looking for Merlin," Aqua stated patiently.

Arthur gasped. "Merlin? He was here, but he got mad at me over…over something, and now he's off somewhere."

"Why would you want that crackpot wizard for?" Ector inquired suspiciously. "Are you spies from another kingdom?"

"No, we're not spies!" Ven disagreed, twirling his Keyblade expertly just to show off his skill. To Arthur he asked, "Can you call Merlin back?"

Archimedes flapped his wings, looking down on everything with his big yellow eyes from the safety of the tree branches above their heads. "Merlin could probably hear Arthur's call, but I don't know if he would answer. Oh, pinfeathers! Where's the magician when you need him?"

Arthur was about to shout out Merlin's name, as if by doing so he could call him from nowhere, but Ector interrupted him. "Wart," he said with a strange calm. "Use the sword there to fight Ven. Whomever wins will become King of England."

"There will be a Tournament after all!" exclaimed a little girl in the crowd, causing a huge roar of joy to ripple throughout the spectators.

"What if I refuse?" Ven asked, folding his arms behind his head and dismissing his weapon in a flash of ivory radiance.

Aqua sighed, knowing they had somehow jeopardized this world's order. She just didn't really know what to do.

"Refusal will result…in…" Ector seemed unsure. Apparently no one could process why such a strong boy, obviously capable of taking care of himself, would not try to become King of England and ruler of Camelot. Especially since the competition was scrawny and young in comparison.

"We don't want to fight, right, Ven?" Aqua said at last, just to break the uneasy silence. The knights shuffled their feet.

Ven looked kindly at Arthur, who looked petrified at the thought of fighting the blonde apprentice. "Of course we don't," he said gently. "But Arthur, can you possibly find Merlin?"

"I'll try, but oh, I wish Merlin was here now. He'd know what to do," Arthur replied unhappily.

A puff of white smoke littered with glittering tendrils of multihued light unexpectedly materialized in the churchyard. Arthur and everyone else took several steps back, and when the fog cleared, a blue robed old man with a long white beard was standing there, glasses balanced on his nose.

"Merlin!" Archimedes flapped over to the magician and circled his head. "We're in quite a conundrum."

_Merlin_. It had taken Aqua a moment, but she remembered that had been the name of the magician Master Eraqus had sent Winnie the Pooh's book to.

"Oh, really? What _now_?" He huffed, crossing his thin arms and flicking his gaze from side to side, frowning. "You drew the sword, didn't you, Arthur?"

"Y-Yes, Merlin, but so did he." The boy pointed nervously to Ventus.

Ven put his hands up. "He can keep it! I don't want to be King! I'm not even a Keyblade Master yet!"

Merlin nodded thoughtfully, looking the Keybearers up and down. "Yes, yes. Let me see here. May I have the sword, Arthur?" Upon receiving Excalibur, the old man ignored the shocked looks from the crowd and ran his hand up and down the flat of the blade. "Ah-hah."

"Ah-hah?" Aqua and Ven echoed incredulously.

"Hah, Uther Pendragon, you scallywag, you." Merlin smiled, causing creases to appear near his eyes so that the bright blue orbs were almost completely gone. "It's a Heart of Light spell. Very tricky, very clever, very hard to perform and it takes an unbelievable amount of energy just to get started. I didn't know he had it in him! The old King must have had help."

"Uther? He's been dead for…for years!" An elderly gentleman stated, bemused.

"Yes, he has, but he's left his sword as a legacy. This Heart of Light spell has a setting, you see, and apparently both Ven here and Arthur either meet or beat its requirements." Merlin said distractedly, looking from the two boys to Aqua and back again.

Aqua tried to remember if they had ever told the magician Ven's name. "So, this Heart of Light spell is what kept the sword in the stone?"

"Ah, you catch on fast. That would be it!" Merlin sighed and wagged a stern finger at the Keybearers. "Aqua and Ventus, Eraqus sent you at a most unfortunate time. This is a turning point in Camelot's history, and you've gone and botched it up!"

Archimedes folded his wings and landed on Merlin's shoulder. "Hoo? Aqua and Ventus?"

"The water and air, the two I've been expecting for a bit. Or so I thought. Time spells always throw this old brain off. Oh, bother. Now we've _got_ to straighten this out, or who knows what will happen? Arthur, Ven, come here, will you?"

The two stepped forward, with Ven throwing a bewildered look Aqua's way.

"Ven, step a bit to the side. There we go. Arthur, stand near that anvil. Good. Now, Ven, look straight at me. Perfect. Here we go…" Merlin removed a pouch from his belt and suddenly flung a gritty blue powder over both of the boys. Ven sputtered and coughed whilst Arthur sneezed so hard that his blonde hair flipped up.

"What's that?" Aqua asked, worried and a little nervous, dispelling the magic powder before it could reach her. It hit everyone in the clearing, spiraling outward from the middle, not affecting Merlin or his owl. Or the middle apprentice.

"You blocked it?" Merlin sounded impressed. "You're stronger than I thought. Magic in its physical form is hard to fend off…yes, you are most competent, Aqua. You messed with this world's order rather violently, though I suspect Eraqus may have planned this…yes I'm certain he did. No harm done, I suppose, if you still remember..."

Everyone else was standing sort of still, with dazed eyes and slack bodies. Aqua stepped to Ven's side and took his hand, squeezing it for a moment before lifting her eyes to Merlin. "How much will they forget?"

"Not really forget, per say. Mostly, I've edited a few things so that they think only Arthur can draw the sword, as Camelot's history should be." Merlin explained. "Don't worry about Ven's memories, the human mind has a remarkable habit of inventing plausible reasons to fill in the gaps. I assure you, nothing else was touched."

Aqua hesitated, and then thought that if Master Eraqus trusted Merlin, she could too. Removing the scroll from inside a pocket in her jacket, she handed it to the magician.

"Yes, I need to translate this. Thank you, Aqua." Merlin smiled at her, handing it to Archimedes to hold in one of his talons. "I won't mess with your memories if you play clueless, eh? Sound reasonable?"

Ven stirred and shook his head. "Huh? What happened?"

Aqua winked quickly at Merlin, then said to her friend, "We just gave Merlin the scroll. You were just telling me how cool it was to see Arthur draw that glowing sword from the anvil."

Ven blinked, and then grinned. "Oh, that's right! If we gave Merlin the scroll…" He stared stupidly at Merlin before scrunching his face up, deep in thought for a moment, trying to process his memories. "We can go now?"

"What, no exploring?" Aqua asked innocently.

"We promised Terra and the Master to be back as soon as possible. And my head hurts anyway." Ven noticed Aqua's grip on his hand from where she had grabbed it in her concern, she did too, and the pair quickly let go and stepped a safe distance away from the still confused crowd.

Aqua punched her shoulder piece. "Terra is probably getting impatient."

"Master Eraqus too," Ven agreed, doing the same.

Before she left with Ven into the white portal, she exclaimed, "All Hail King Arthur!"

The chant was quickly taken up by the milling group of people who wanted something to do, and then Aqua departed.

~***~

"Finally!" Terra complained as Ven and Aqua arrived in the entrance hall of the Castle in the Land of Departure. "I've been sitting here for two hours 'meditating on my inner light' or some load of—"

"Terra, my head hurts. Don't talk so loud." Ven interrupted, laughing at the older apprentice's annoyed look.

Master Eraqus stepped towards Aqua with his usual knowing smile. "Did it go well?"

"Yes, sir." Aqua replied respectfully.

"You did as I said and didn't delay?" From his facial expression, their answer was important.

Ven yawned. "Yeah, Master Eraqus. Completely boring delivery done successfully."

A twinkle of amusement appeared in their Master's eyes. "Well, I'll make your next mission more exciting, shall I?"

"Mine too," Terra added.

"Oh, hush." Ven laughed, grinning cheekily.

"Well _fine_." A huff from the eldest protégé. "Aqua, what happened? Anything interesting?"

Aqua patted Terra's shoulder as she passed, heading for her room. "Nothing important that I can remember."

~***~

_**I know Merlin is in BBS—(I think?)—so they probably shouldn't know him yet. Right. Ignore this little one-shot, it wasn't my idea, it was my brother's. It's hard to leave Merlin out of the world he belongs in.**_

_**I never saw the Sword in the Stone. I'm sure everyone is atrociously OOC. My bad.**_

_**Anyway, want to drop a review? They're going to the Pridelands next, and I'm going to mix two of my reviewers'—I love you guys XD—ideas together for the next one-shot.**_

_**Happy Valentine's Day!**_


	10. Peacekeepers

_~*.*Disciples of the Keyblade*.*~_

**Title:**_ Peacekeepers_

**Rating: **T to be safe.

**Warnings: **Violence, some blood.

**Characters:** Terra, Aqua, Ventus, Master Eraqus, Mufasa, Scar

**Summary:** A visit to the Pridelands reveals a mysterious creature that doesn't make its natural home on the savannas… Pre-BBS.

**Special Notes:** **UnVeRsEd, Dani-Chan-Sprite-Monster -13-, and various others—(**I'm being too lazy to look it up)—mentioned they wanted to see the Pridelands or the transformation spell used as an one-shot idea. Here we have it. This won't be the last chapter using a "transformation spell" either.

~***~

Master Eraqus watched them silently.

It was a bit disturbing.

Terra wished he would at least _blink_.

"Er—Master, are you—"

"Shh," Eraqus interrupted, shaking his head slowly.

Terra exchanged a bewildered look with Aqua and Ventus on either side of him, trying to figure out what was going on. They were just standing in the courtyard outside of the Castle, with the Land of Departure's usual sunny weather in full swing. But it was deathly quiet.

_Too quiet…_

Ven yawned hugely, earning a small smile of amusement from Aqua. Terra gave a snort of laughter.

"All right," Eraqus said at last. "I'll teach you the transformation spell. There are special garments that might be able to do it for you, but they are difficult to get. In case you lose the clothes, wouldn't you agree that the spell itself is more useful?" He didn't wait for a reply. "I'm going to teach you a popular animal spell amongst apprentices, be they Keybearers, magicians, sorcerers, witches or wizards."

"_Cool_," Ven breathed, drawing the word out like a wad of bubblegum.

"It's along the same difficulty of the Keyblade Rider spell." Eraqus nodded at Aqua. "Depending on what weapon you chose during your Awakening, you may find this spell either mildly perplexing or near impossible. It's an impressive ability to wield, but only if it can be mastered."

_Here we go. Aqua will get it on the first try or something. _Terra supposed he was being unreasonable, since she had indeed picked the Dream Rod during her Awakening. He had chosen the Sword, which would explain his lesser prowess when it came to the arcane arts.

"I'll explain the spell to you," the Master continued. "And when you have changed your shape, I will send you to a place called the Pride Lands. It is the best place to try your new form out. Once you have shown yourself capable of doing the spell, I will teach you the underwater aquatic form also." Eraqus looked from Terra, to Ven, to Aqua sternly. "These transformation spells are powerful, but they have rules. They can only be used on certain worlds, and oftentimes you may find the world's own magic changed you without your permission."

"If the world changes you itself, will it be permanent?" Aqua asked.

Eraqus shook his graying head. "No, it will not. Only temporary. Just in case the world doesn't alter your form itself, it is wise to know the charm, if you wish to blend in. Listen closely, the three of you."

The incantation was…_hard._ Terra's head hurt as he tried to remember the words that went with it, the mental images, the correct amount of magical energy required, and the other finer details that almost always escaped his mind's mental abilities. It was harder, in his opinion, than the Keyblade Rider business since it didn't generate from the Keyblade. Even Aqua's face was twisted in concentration, her eyes half shut. Ven had one hand clutching his mess of blonde hair, blue eyes wide, almost looking like someone had shocked him with something electrical.

Eraqus let them try for roughly two minutes. When no one had succeeded, not even Aqua, and the only sound was the muttered words that went with the spell, their Master sighed and shook his head.

"Maybe it's a tad too advanced. Hmm." He suddenly back-flipped, landing in a burst of bright green sprinkled with glowing leaves that faded upon reaching the ground.

Ven and the others took a half-step back. "Whoa!" they chorused.

Standing before them was a dark black-gray lion. He was powerfully built, with strong shoulders and a long mane that was a little lighter than the rest of his fur. His deep blue eyes stared straight at them, and something in his face and body made it clear that it was Master Eraqus. As fast as it had happened, another emerald explosion flared briefly into life before revealing their mentor, once again human.

"Wow!" Ventus hopped excitedly. "That's great, awesome! I definitely want to try!"

Eraqus chuckled fondly. "Maybe that will give you an incentive to _try_ a little harder."

"Will we _all _look different?" Terra asked questioningly.

"Everyone does."

Aqua didn't say anything, to them at least. She just went back to the spell.

Instead of pointlessly drilling himself through the charm over and over and over again, Terra went over the mechanics and principles, the workings, the energy it took to cause the incantation to manifest physically. He didn't speak or move for almost three minutes, ignoring any sounds Aqua or Ventus were making, ignoring even Eraqus as his Master said something about the difficulty.

Terra double checked his chosen method to be sure, took a deep breath, and opened his eyes. Fixing his gaze somewhere between Aqua and Ven so that he could see them both at the same time, he quickly but carefully said the words in his mind and released all of the magical power he had, letting the arcane sentence absorb the force and give it life.

There was an uncomfortable prickling sensation that slid along his arms and legs, his face, stinging his skin like the bite of winter. Terra felt fear caress his heart, and he wondered if he should cut off the magic before he did something stupid to himself, like spontaneous combustion. A swirling green mist rose swiftly around his body, obliterating all sound, so that he couldn't hear anyone. The last voice he heard was Aqua's frightened, "Terra!"

He tried to answer, but the strange fog coated his tongue and left behind a bitter taste, momentarily stealing his breath away. It felt like hours, but Terra suspected only two or three seconds had passed, which he spent trying to endure the vicious stinging, since the minor prickling had increased tenfold. The glowing veil dissipated, and Terra shook his head from side to side, attempting to clear his senses.

"Cool, Terra!" Ven's voice said close beside him. Terra whipped around and suddenly tripped over his own feet, which felt both heavier and lighter than they should have. He landed on his stomach, hair falling into his eyes, whiskers twitching.

_Whiskers?_

Terra looked down at himself and saw a pair of dark brown paws spread in front of his nose. A muzzle claimed a small portion of his lower vision, and the edges of his earthy hair obscured the limits of what he could see.

"You did it," Aqua's tone sounded impressed. "Terra? Are you okay?"

He opened his mouth, closed it, and rose to his feet instead. He had a whole new array of senses, and the strength in his legs and teeth was astonishing. It was tempting to run as fast as he could just to see what would happen.

"Fine. I'm fine," Terra spoke at last. He was surprised to hear that his voice was really no different.

"Huh?" Ven looked blank. "What did he say?"

Eraqus laughed. "Animals all use one universal language, and unless you suddenly become fluent in their tongue, you won't be able to understand Terra until you shift yourself."

Terra shook loose his shaggy brown mane and waved his paw in a motion that clearly said, "Go ahead."

Aqua looked slightly disgruntled, and Terra guessed it was because she usually mastered spells first.

The knowledge made him smug.

Terra took a good look at himself, seeing strong shoulders and muscled limbs, a tasseled tail ending in an amber tip, and a lighter colored underbelly that lent his fur a more unique shade. He practiced walking at first—circling Aqua in particular just to annoy her—trying to get the hang of traveling with four feet. He tried running next, and though it took him a while, he soon stopped stumbling around like an idiot.

A sudden whoosh made Aqua jump slightly, and Terra whirled around, snarling, as Ven suddenly vanished from view in a green cloud. A few short seconds passed, and then a small blonde cub rolled forward and came to a stop at Terra's feet as an undignified heap.

"Ow…Terra, sheathe your claws. You just poked my rib," Ven complained.

Terra snorted with laughter as the cub struggled to his feet, swishing his golden tail. His yellow hair had assumed its form as a tuft of wild fur on his head. Frowning at Terra's expression, Ven started circling around, chasing his tail.

"Why am I small for?" He muttered, nudging his shoulder-piece with his nose.

"You're younger," Terra teased, playfully cuffing him on the head. He had misjudged his strength, however, and ended up knocking him over.

That meant only Aqua hadn't shifted. She looked_ annoyed_ now, though she tried to hide it, brushing her hair back and nodding to herself, eyes closed. A full minute passed, and it seemed that the girl had almost fallen asleep. Then she shifted her stance and snapped her fingers.

_Showoff_, Terra griped, as, like he had expected, a green plume of smoke engulfed her.

A pale blue lioness with a white stomach and front legs emerged, shaking herself loosely, some low hanging fur styled like her usual short hair. The silver armor piece bobbed on her shoulder with every step. Though she was larger than Ven, she was a full head and shoulders smaller than Terra, though she seemed longer.

"Finally," she huffed, ruffling her whiskers. The lioness gave herself a cursory glance of mild interest, pale sky eyes bright.

"It took you long enough," Terra snorted, stepping to Aqua's side and sticking his tongue out. Aqua instantly pinched his tongue between two of the digits on her front left paw, grinning the smug grin that only cats could pull off.

"I_ let_ you win," she teased with a light chuckle. Ven pranced over and accidentally stepped on Aqua's paw, causing her to flinch and relax her grip enough to free Terra's tongue.

"Oh, sorry, Aqua!" Ven said innocently, waving his tail in a wide arc with a cheery smirk.

Before Terra could react to Aqua's amused expression, Eraqus joined them, the muscles in his lion form rippling along his frame. He locked gazes with each of them, one after another, before speaking.

"This spell, just like the Keyblade Rider, is like riding a bike. You never forget." He paused to let the message sink in. "Therefore, you will find the charm simple to do since you've performed it once, successfully. I will teach you the mechanics of this particular spell's form, how to run and dodge and fight…after that, I will take you to the lands you will be practicing in."

The three lion apprentices stood sharply at attention, one still griping about being so small.

"Let's start!" Terra dug his claws into the ground eagerly, eyes all but glowing with excitement.

Eraqus jerked his head to the side, his Keyblade appearing in his teeth. Springing forward, he brought the weapon sharply to the side, slicing the air where his three disciples stood. They all leaped back, or in Ven's case, ducked low to the ground to take advantage of his smaller size.

"What the?!" Terra hissed, flattening his ears. "How do we fight with our weapon in our _mouths_?"

"Improvise," Aqua snapped before summoning her own Keyblade, Rain Fall. She clenched it between her teeth and, after a moment spent trying to adjust her balance, went to attack Master Eraqus.

Terra did the same, surprised by the strength in the lion's body to hold such a heavy weapon with nothing but the muscles in his jaws. Circling around for an instant to get behind his Master, whom was distracted by the ferocity in the girl's attack, he bunched his muscles and prepared to charge.

With an unexpected roar that sounded more like an irritated tabby's caterwaul, Ventus, without his Keyblade, sprang up onto Eraqus's head and dug his claws in. Eraqus was surprised, whipping around in confusion as Ven covered his eyes with his paws. Terra knew what he would have done if such a small opponent opted to get on top of him.

"Ven, get away!" Terra's voice sounded slightly muffled thanks to the Keyblade clenched between his teeth. If he didn't, Eraqus might roll onto his back, his greater weight crushing the cub.

The golden lion slipped off and called Fresh Breeze in a glimmer of white particles. He proceeded to press his attack, with Terra racing forward to help. It was almost impossible to land a blow even with the three of them, since Eraqus basically became a gray whirlwind that spun on one paw at times, eyes glinting.

A sudden gust of wind threw the three apprentices away, but they managed to instinctively flip through the air to land on all fours, hunched over, Terra growling deep in his throat.

Eraqus shook loose his mane, breathing hard. "Well done. I think you can go to the world to practice now." His Keyblade had vanished at some point during the mini tornado.

"What world is the 'Pride Lands'?" Ven piped up curiously, eyes wide with excitement.

"You'll see." Eraqus became his human self, and after a few moments of pause, his pupils did the same. "Put your armor on, and ride through the portal I'm about to open. I will come find you when it is time to return. You'll have plenty of time to explore."

"Yes, Master," intoned the three apprentices. They sharply rapped their shoulder-pieces as Eraqus shot a beam of light into the sky, opening a gateway to some far distant planet.

They tossed their Keyblades in the air, waved good bye to Eraqus, and got on their Riders, preparing for the worst but hoping for the best.

Terra, of course, was the first one through.

~***~  
He remembered Eraqus telling them something about how a world had its own magic, how a world's heart could do mysterious but spectacular things.

This…was one of them. Or he guessed at least.

It was almost like this planet rejected technology, the Rider disappearing not long after he had sailed in, without his consent. Or maybe the spell had simply worn out. Whatever the case, Terra felt himself falling through the air, but before he even hit the ground, he had that prickling sensation followed by the acrid taste of green smoke.

Terra landed lightly on his paws, shaking loose his mane and peering around to get a grasp on his surroundings. Similar grunts of surprise showed his companions were nearby.

The world was untouched by any signs of human—or alien--hands. A massive savannah spread before them, green and yellow, the grass waving in the warm breeze. The air smelled of dirt, plants, and the very faint, strange aroma of water that his animal mind recognized. Birds screeched somewhere in the distance, and the sky was a deep blue with the golden sun arched high directly overhead. Behind them, a mountainous, rocky field dropped down to a stony wasteland. Elephant skeletons were strewn haphazardly across it, looking like the skull of a Cyclops, thanks to the single, gaping hole in their centers. Visible as only a remote brown smudge, it seemed a canyon opened out to the far east, but it was impossible to be sure from this distance. A broad lake of water glimmered bright gold and white to the west, with scrawny trees bearing wide, thick leaves bent crookedly over its expanse. Animals, striped black and white zebras, tall giraffes, and other creatures Terra couldn't pick out from the huge herd meandered near its extent.

He turned at the sound of something metal jangling, and it was only Aqua, shaking loose some dust from her paws, the armor piece still fixed on her shoulder. He wondered absently if it still worked, even in lion form. Ven bounced forward, all but leaping for joy, staring around with huge eyes.

_Here we go_, Terra observed dryly to himself. _Three…two…one…_

"Wow, Terra! Look at all of those zebras! And Aqua, see that over there? It's a hippo, isn't it? There aren't any of those on the Land of Departure! And wow, take a look at that huge old rock right across from us!"

"It's not right across, it's miles and miles away," Terra snorted. The large collection of stones that Ventus was indicating was just one huge, straight, sort of triangular rock with a slanted section in front that reached a decent distance across the grasslands, looking very much like the perch of a king.

A throne of stone.

Ven was undeterred by Terra's remark, or he didn't hear. "_Look, look, wow_! All of those birds! And flamingoes! I only saw pictures in the library but _we_ don't have birds like _that_. Aqua, Aqua, see that!" He was circling energetically around Aqua now, whiskers twitching, eyes like blue suns. She kept turning her head to keep him in her sights, smiling. She lifted her eyes to look at Terra, her expression amused.

"I see it Ven," she softly repeated over and over as he kept prancing.

Terra rolled his eyes. "I'm going to go look over there, at that graveyard. I'll be right back." He indicated the elephant skulls a short distance behind them.

Aqua hesitated, glancing between him and the skeletons, but she nodded. "Don't take too long, okay?"

"Promise," he muttered, picking up his pace and stepping gingerly into the bone yard. The dirt underpaw was rough and gritty with hidden pebbles, not like the dry savannah soil. The curved tusks of the white skulls cast jagged shadows across the brown lion as he explored, Ven's voice fading into the background.

_Five, ten minutes tops. Maybe Ven will calm down by then. I'll be right back_, Terra assured himself, feeling a little bad for leaving Aqua with the hyperactive boy. Ven would probably realize how childish he was acting and settle into an embarrassed silence soon enough.

The sun had trouble forcing its golden rays past the valley's peaks, only dappling a few areas here and there. Terra kept looking back to make sure he could see the slope that led out. The air surprisingly didn't smell like death. It sort of carried the scent of sulfur, from somewhere…the breeze was angling at some odd direction and he couldn't find its source.

Terra heard a pebble clatter behind him, and he whirled around, resisting the urge to call his Keyblade, searching for the disturbance. "Who's there?" he barked harshly, claws sliding out of their sheathes.

A shadow removed itself from a small cave that was barely visible from the top of a short hill. It slowly headed down until it was at the proper angle to jump into a tiny ray of sunshine that jutted intrusively onto a rocky ledge.

Swirling dust motes ballooned into the air as the lion landed, turning to face Terra.

The first thing he had the impression of was _green_. Bright, yet simultaneously _dark_ green, set in a thin face, lips curled into a sort of lazy smile. The lion had brown fur that was lighter than Terra's own, its body so slender that it was on the verge of lanky, sinewy muscles moving under the hide. It wasn't starved, its limbs were just long, its structure scrawny. By lion standards anyway. There was a black mane, also slim, that coiled in loose folds around its ears, down its back a little, and spilled out across its front. A lighter shade of some color that seemed brownish-pink coated its toes, stomach, the edges of its face, and a little of its mouth. A thin strand of fur seemed to almost form a sort of short goatee.

The thought, for some reason, amused Terra.

The lion turned its head, showing a pink scar that ran across its left eye, even the lid, Terra saw, as it blinked. The voice was thin, like the rest of it, with an odd octave that the Keybearer couldn't quite place. It was sort of like a sarcastic politeness.

"So," drawled the lion, stepping down lithely to Terra's level. He bunched his muscles, but there was no sign of an attack. "Who are you? What are you doing here, of all the lovely places in the Pride Lands?"

"Pride Lands?" Terra echoed, straightening up just a little. "Is that where I am now? Not much to be proud over."

The lion swished its black tasseled tail. "Technically," he amended almost apologetically, but there was still that sardonic tilt to its tone. "This is the _outside _of the Pride Lands. We stand in the Elephant Graveyard. Quite a few hyenas here. You must be brave, wandering in like you own the place and not even knowing where you stand."

Terra thought of Aqua and Ven, and hoped they weren't close enough to the Graveyard to attract hyenas. "Who are you?"

The lion absently flexed its sharp claws, picking up a bone. "My name is Scar," he stated simply, cracking the item sharply. The noise sounded deafening in the quiet. "And you are?"

"Terra."

"Terra." Scar repeated, his face impossible to read. A smile curved his lips up. "Well, I simply _must_ take you to the Pride Lands, as I said…this is no place for such a young boy, its dangerous here."

"I'm not young," Terra snapped, turning around. "And I was about to leave anyway."

"Of course not, of course not," soothed Scar hurriedly, stepping to his side. Terra pulled his head back slightly but didn't move away. "Here, I was about to leave also. We might as well walk together, hmm?"

"Whatever. If it's so dangerous, why are _you_ here?" Terra retorted, loping off the way he had come without looking to see if Scar was following. He wasn't really worried, but he wanted to be back at Aqua's side as soon as possible if there was danger here.

And Ven's too, of course.

Scar kept pace easily, his long legs propelling his lithe form forward. "I was just looking around. Father, he never cared much for the Graveyard. _I_ think if we didn't spurn the hyenas like we do…" He trailed off thoughtfully.

Terra flicked his ears, a gesture that just seemed normal in this form. "How many lions are here?"

"Not a lot. There's only the King's Pride, which I'm a part of. We live up there on Pride Rock." His gaze was set on the shadowy form of the great slanted stone that rested heavily on the skyline.

"'King's Pride'? Who's the King?" Terra thought the more information he had, the better. Aqua would be pleased if he came back with some details on the Pride Lands thanks to his little trip.

"Ahadi is, right now, though he is growing old…" A fire lit up Scar's eyes. "My brother and I are successors to the throne."

They were coming close to the exit ridge now. Terra laughed derisively. "'Successors'? You can't have two Kings. Only one. Who's the Crown Prince?" The Keybearer just threw in a bit of the details he knew about monarchy in there, but it was really common sense. You couldn't have two Kings of the same kingdom.

"My brother," Scar said darkly as they cleared the slope. "And there he is now," he added sourly.

Terra turned his eyes forward and blinked in surprise, skidding to a halt with Scar behind him.

A big male lion, built actually a little thicker than he was, was standing beside Aqua. He had broad shoulders with a thick, sleek red mane that surrounded his face like a true lion's should. His muzzle was broader and rounder than Scar's, his paw tips, belly, and lower face a creamy yellow instead of the brilliant gold that colored the rest of his pelt. Red-brown eyes set in a strong face looked kindly down at Ven as the cub peered up at him curiously, almost on his back since his neck was craned so far skyward.

In short, the lion was as different from Scar as Terra was from Aqua.

_They must have interesting parents, to create such entirely unique offspring_, Terra thought. There really was nothing he could see in them that was similar, since the larger male lion didn't have anything small that showed a relation to his brother. He didn't even share something trivial, like Scar's black tufts of fur on his elbows.

All of this was pushed out of his mind as Terra realized he was standing near _Aqua_. He shoved his way rudely between the male lion and her, shifting his stance a little. Eraqus had warned him not to judge a book by its cover, so even if this lion _looked_ friendly, he could just as easily _not_ be. That might have been why Scar was scowling upon seeing him.

"Who are you?" Terra asked, trying to keep his voice civil. He grabbed Ven by his tail and hauled him back beside him, ignoring his shout of shock.

"Terra…" Aqua muttered, trailing off.

The lion blinked in surprise. "My name is Mufasa." He had a deep, strong voice, like rolling thunder but not as threatening.

"It seems you've gone and gotten Terra all protective," Scar ambled lazily over and settled down, wrapping his tail around his paws. "You really _should_ watch whose lioness you stand by."

It took Terra a moment to dissect these words, and in that second or two, Mufasa spoke again, sounding apologetic.

"I'm very sorry—Terra, was it?—for making you think I was…No, I had just spotted Aqua and Ven," he nodded at the cub. "Standing here, and I had wondered if they were all right. They looked lost. You have a handsome son," he added.

Terra understood _that_ instantly. He, Ventus, and Aqua sprang as far apart as they could in a single jump, fur bristling in shock, mouths wide open, staring wildly between Mufasa and themselves. They spoke at once, all together.

"You think Aqua and I—"

"Terra and I, we aren't—"

"I'm not their—"

Mufasa seemed perplexed by their reaction, shifting his powerful shoulders. "Wait, hold on! It seems I've said something foolish…"

"Which isn't surprising, brother dearest," Scar said quietly.

"…And I've misunderstood your situation. You're friends, aren't you?"

"Yes," Terra replied, relieved. "That's all."

Aqua still had her fur on end, which looked hilarious.

Ven ducked his head. "I'm not their kid," he grumbled.

"I'm sorry, I truly am." And he _did_ look sorry, his tail low and his head bowed.

"No, it's okay," Aqua murmured. "Don't worry about it at all."

Mufasa shook his head slowly from side to side. "This is the wrong way to greet someone…Why don't you come to Pride Rock? I'm sure the lionesses have caught something by now."

Ven swiveled his ears. "Do we eat their food?" he asked in a quiet whisper that Terra had to kneel down to hear.

"I don't know," he shrugged, straightening up. "We're not really hungry, but we'd be honored to look around."

Aqua agreed quickly, as did Ventus.

"Good, good." Mufasa looked at Scar, as if noticing him for the first time. "_There_ you are. Where did you run off to?"

"I went chasing flying boars," Scar snorted, his tone heavy with sarcasm.

His big brother sighed and shook his head, looking up at the sky as if for guidance. "Come," he nodded at the three Keybearers. Mufasa set a gentle pace, apparently for Ven's sake, but when the cub put on a huge burst of speed and bounded forward—he was still fast, no matter what form he was in—the older lions had to scramble to catch up, even Scar, with his long legs.

As they raced through the savannah, Mufasa panted, "Where are you from?"

Aqua swirled her tail in a spiral thoughtfully. "Far away from here."

"Did you run into any other lions?" Scar's tone was strangely unreadable, his brilliant green eyes on Terra's face though he was questioning Aqua.

"No, you're the first," she replied.

Ven gave a massive leap, laughing as he sent birds flying since the sound of his approach had alarmed the colorful creatures. He had almost swatted one from the air.

"What's the story with him, if he's not your cub?" Mufasa's tone was sympathetic. He was quite the gentle giant, being the largest of the group. His soft gaze fell onto Ven's small form.

Terra knew they had to make something up quick. "We found him, Aqua and me," he said as casually as he could.

"Hmm," Scar replied indifferently, thoughtful.

They finally reached the base of the huge rock formation, its shadow a long, dark black line across the green grass. Several lionesses were clustered in its shade, talking. Most of them were gold, though there were a few brown and gray specimens that resembled Scar's darker build.

"Are you sure you aren't hungry?" Mufasa asked, turning his head to indicate a zebra carcass.

Terra noticed Aqua hurriedly averted her eyes from the bloody and mangled body, but Ven took an inquisitive step forward, whiskers twitching.

"No, thank you." He said firmly. Bending down to Ven's level, Terra hissed in his round ears, "Do you really want to eat _raw zebra_?"

Ventus shrugged, turning away and clambering up the side of Pride Rock. Mufasa chuckled warmly and followed, with Scar close behind. Terra was in front of Scar and Aqua but behind Mufasa and Ven, angling his ears to hear what all of them were talking about.

"When we reach the top," Mufasa was saying to Ven. "I'll show you the entire kingdom."

"Cool!" was the excited reply.

Scar's quiet paw-steps barely rustled against the stone. He moved like he was constantly stalking some kind of prey. "I _am_ sorry, I must have missed your names, how clumsy of me…that is Terra, but who are you?"

"I'm Aqua, and he's Ven."

"He is no cub of yours?" Scar said slowly.

"No." Aqua stated this with a finality that sealed the subject.

"I imagine you raised him?"

"Well, I guess you could say that." Aqua seemed uneasy with the topic. "Terra and I, and our Master."

"Master? The leader of your pride, you mean? You must be a long way from home." Scar commented nonchalantly. "There are no other prides here."

"We are." In his mind, Terra could almost see her eyes narrowing in suspicion. "Why do you ask?"

"Curiosity, curiosity, curiosity." Scar laughed shortly.

"Curiosity killed the cat," Aqua remarked evenly.

Scar's eyes gleamed brighter than they already were. "That's what I'm counting on," he murmured so softly that Terra wondered if Aqua had even heard, since when he turned to look at her, she seemed to be staring at something only she could see. "You needn't have overreacted, you know, about my brother's mistake." The dark lion stated suddenly.

Mufasa and Ven had reached the top of the rise now, with the cub taking a cautious step forward to peer down at the belly-lurching drop.

Aqua just looked at Scar questioningly.

"My brother already has a mate. Sarabi. She's resting in the cave I imagine."

"Oh. What about you?"

Scar didn't answer; he just picked up his pace until he was beside Terra. "Why don't you go listen to my brother's spiel about the Pride Lands?" He suggested.

Aqua exchanged a look with Terra, confused, but they sat on the edge of the jutting rock face and gazed out across the massive grasslands, with the Graveyard visible as only a dark smudge on the horizon, the valley a lighter colored mark that seemed more like a blemish than an actual sturdy structure of nature.

"Our pride has long said this to the princes and princesses that we have had over the years." Mufasa looked at Scar as if wondering if his brother wanted to continue. When nothing was said from the dark lion, he went on himself. "Everything the light touches is our kingdom."

"_Everything_? But wouldn't you own the world that way?" Ven inquired.

"Everything we see from here," Mufasa corrected.

Terra bit back a sarcastic comment, but he was glad when Scar showed no such restraint.

"Unless it cloudy. In which case we don't own anything." Scar smirked slyly.

"_Must_ you, Scar?" Mufasa sighed so hard that his whiskers shook. He cleared his throat. "All things are connected to another in the great Circle of Life."

"If this were a movie, they'd start playing the theme music now," Terra whispered into Aqua's ear. She smiled slightly but shushed him anyway.

"We—"Mufasa stopped and suddenly bared his teeth, rising to his paws. "What's that?"

Scar stood up too, face slack with shock, the first time he had shown any real expression. "That's nothing _I've _seen before. What about you, Outsiders? Seen anything quite like that?"

Terra ignored Ven's indignant muttering about his lack of height to see, narrowing his eyes to cold slits. "Nothing we've encountered. It's some sort of creature. It's coming this way."

Mufasa was nothing but a gold and red blur, bounding strongly down the side of Pride Rock. Scar was close behind, slipping down the stones, making jumps that were more risky than his brother's.

"Whatever it is, we've got to help. Keybearers keep the peace, right?" Ventus didn't wait for their reply, pelting after the two princes, a blonde blur against the brown stone.

Terra hurtled after him, Aqua right at his side. The lionesses at the base were shepherding cubs into safety, positioning themselves protectively beside their offspring. Terra was surprised when one of them called, "Be careful, Outsiders!"

They burst out onto the savannah, and with no troublesome rocks to traverse, they picked up speed. Ven had already caught up to Scar and Mufasa, almost in front of them, Keyblade materializing in his teeth with a fiery white brilliance.

Scar's heavy lids pulled up in shock, eyes wide, Mufasa looking much the same.

"What is that?" breathed the dark lion.

"Something that'll help," Terra snarled, shoving between Scar and Ven, accelerating swiftly. His muscles burned with each movement of his legs, but he kept his cobalt gaze locked on the shadowy cloud that was moving slowly towards them, low to the ground.

Aqua ordered everyone to stop before they got too near, with the male lions listening to her reluctantly, obviously unused to taking orders from females. Terra remembered her loathing for the "backward worlds" and knew she was glad they had obeyed, for once.

The black fog curled in on itself, a huge mass of smoke and crackling flecks of white, purple, red, and yellow. It gathered into something resembling a rhino, four tree trunk legs, a muscled torso and broad body, with tiny red-yellow eyes. The only difference was the horns, which instead of one or two, it had three that led right up to in-between its eyes, varying in size, and twin white tusks that reached forward, like the elephants' in the Graveyard. Their ends were jagged and razor-sharp.

"What monstrosity is this?" Mufasa whispered hoarsely. He didn't run though, didn't shake, just kept his paws firmly on the savannah soil.

"I…don't know." Aqua sounded unsure.

Ven seemed the strangest. His tail lowered and he was looking at the odd, almost heart shaped white symbol that was stamped on its chest. He snapped out of it, settling into a battle stance, lurching on his paws as if he couldn't wait to charge at it.

Terra called Earth Shaker to his jaws, settling down, and waiting for the thundering cacophony of the herds to fade as they fled.

The creature lowered its head, its body parts jerking strangely, some of its structure seeming almost warped and distorted, like smudged paint across a canvas, and bellowed. Then it started towards them, each step causing a vibration that Terra felt through his entire body, starting from his feet and ending at his tail and ear tips.

He attacked first, running straight at it, breathing hard. Terra twisted to hit its face, digging his claws in for support, grateful for the strength of his lion form. The monster's entire body was cold, but it reacted to the Keyblade's assault with obvious pain. It shook its massive head from side to side, seeking to dislodge him.

Aqua and Ven circled around to get the rhino from the sides and its back, but Terra hadn't expected, for some reason, for Mufasa to join him. The big lion roared, and in its shattering waves, Terra felt magic stir.

_These lions_, he realized. _They have magic in them. They have as much a chance as we do._

Every world, really, had magic.

Scar hesitated briefly, but apparently gave in, surging forward and leaping to land on its back. The rhino didn't like all of the creatures striking it at once, and it jumped up and down until they all fell off or lost their grip. The vibrations it left behind jarred Terra's senses, making it hard to concentrate. Every step from the monster spawned a smoking black crater of darkness.

Aqua's fur was glowing with the magic she was calling on, eyes fixated on the demonic animal's, light flowing from her body in translucent ripples. Ven was a pale blur, spinning around and around, flashing back and forth as the rhino struggled to catch him. Mufasa and Scar were actually working together, though the gold lion was doing all of the distracting as the darker brother sank his claws into the creature's throat. Terra himself sliced at its black hide whenever he got an opening, ripping apart flesh like ribbon, clenching his teeth as he sought to ignore the cold he felt streaming from the monstrosity.

Aqua was suddenly caught, just like that, by the rhino's head. It had unexpectedly rounded on her and ducked to catch her with its scythe-like tusks, jerking its powerful frame to send her flying straight into the Elephant Graveyard.

Terra dropped everything he was doing, pushing away from his foe, ignoring the various scrapes on his hide. "Aqua!"

He had never run faster in his life.

"Aqua!" Ven's echoing cry was filled with an agonizing fear.

Terra rounded on him. "Go, help Mufasa and Scar! They'll need it."

"They can handle themselves," Ven retorted as Mufasa's magical roar actually sent the beast skittering back a few feet.

Terra felt like every heartbeat in his body was measuring Aqua's time. He opened his mouth and roared from somewhere deep inside of him that knew how. "_I didn't ask. I ordered it._ Go help them! I'll check on Aqua."

Ven hesitated, frightened by Terra's rage.

"_Go_!" He flashed his claws out, not aiming to hurt but to scare. The cub turned and reluctantly headed back to the action. Terra whipped around again and headed for where Aqua had landed, telling himself that Ventus was being stupid. It was an unfamiliar, dangerous creature, and it didn't take _all_ of them to go check on Aqua. Ven had to go help the two lions.

Terra shouldered through a patch of dead bracken, ignoring some bristly briars that dug into his fur, scratching his face. The thorns reminded him of that day so many years ago, when Aqua had almost fallen off a cliff.

A million swear words ran through his head, all of them abruptly coming to a stop as he beheld Aqua's prone form.

The blue lionesses was bruised and bloodied, a long gash on her side. At first it seemed she wasn't breathing, but she sat up, shook herself, and struggled to her paws.

"Aqua!" Terra raced forward, crossing the last of the distance between them. "Are you okay?"

"Fine," she huffed, her legs trembling. A green energy surged through her body as she used the last of her magic to heal herself. "Let's go!"

Terra stared in surprise as she pushed him aside and ran back to the battle, and he hurried to keep up. _I really need to stop underestimating her. I'll worry myself to death._

The rhino was bucking and roaring, Ven on its back, using the Keyblade to scrape at its eyes. Mufasa was trying to get close, but the shockwaves were making it difficult. Scar worked his claws impatiently into the grass, shredding it to pieces, searching for an opening.

Aqua and Terra both simultaneously attacked, bringing their weapons down in one long stroke, ignoring the pain riddling their systems as the rhino's dark ripples met their flesh.

Silence.

The beast stumbled, and Ven untangled himself from its body, which seemed to be weeping folds of darkness like black satin. It jerked forward, walking through its own stains left behind from every footprint—the small field was black now, and dead—shedding more pounds of its body. It roared, weakly, before collapsing on its side.

It burst, like a balloon. Just like that. Swirls of shadow headed for the darkening sky, the sun setting blood red. The heavens appeared to be on fire.

Mufasa and Scar were injured, but they didn't complain, limping towards the three apprentices as they stood together. There was no suspicion in his voice for the Outsiders that arrived the same day that the monster had as Mufasa addressed them. "Who _are_ you?"

"They're my pupils, and they've done a wonderful job."

They all turned to see Eraqus walking towards them. "I was too late," he apologized. "I meant to come earlier—"

"Its okay, Master." Aqua sounded relieved he was here. "What _was_ that?"

"I don't know. That's what I'm about to find out. It's time for us to leave."

"That wasn't your doing? If so, that must be why you travel. To escape." Scar's eyes gleamed with interest; a bloody-green in the sun's dying light.

"We travel to learn," Eraqus replied lightly. "Come." Their Master turned and headed into the valley without a backwards glance, and Terra hastened to follow.

"Who are you?" Mufasa's powerful voice repeated his earlier question, obviously still seeking an answer.

"Who are we?" Eraqus smiled over his shoulder. "Peacekeepers."

The brothers faded into the grassland as the four lions went farther away. They made no movement to follow.

"I know you have questions, but I have no answers to give right now." Eraqus instructed them to turn back into their human selves—though why they had to come _here_, to this exact spot, Terra couldn't guess—and put on their armor. He also opened the portal to their home, shaking his head slowly in a sort of weary bewilderment.

"I've never seen the Master like this," Ventus whispered.

"Neither have I," Terra agreed.

~***~

Eraqus had sent them straight to their rooms after looking them over for injuries. He then isolated himself in his study.

Terra, feeling almost strange to be human, toyed with his Keyblade. "What did you guys think of the Pride Lands?"

"Interesting," Aqua replied with a shrug. She seemed distracted.

"Right…yeah…do you know what Mufasa said to me?" Ventus said suddenly.

"No," Aqua and Terra remarked together.

"He said…he wants a son like me. And that made me wonder, who were my parents? Did they want a son like me too?"

Terra recalled Ven's amnesia. He didn't recollect anything before his apprenticeship. Both he and Aqua didn't like remembering Ven's dead eyed stare, as if someone had drained half the power from his soul.

"We'll find out one day," Aqua promised softly.

Terra didn't say anything, just clasped his hands in his lap and closed his eyes.

There were so many questions, but there were no answers to find…

"Wow Terra, I never saw you angrier than when you…" Ventus's thoughtful voice shattered the silence.

Terra knew what he was talking about. "Sorry for yelling at you, but the lions needed help."

Ven's face turned dark. "Don't try to stop me from helping her again."

Surprised by his tone, Terra looked into his blue eyes, shadowed with anger, and nodded.

~***~

_**Yes, I'm being lazy once more. Sorry. I'm really tired while writing this so I won't look up who said it, but I believe someone asked me to have them fight an Unversed. That would be the rhino. Since it's so late, I apologize in advance for any typos.**_

_**Anyway, I chose to do pre-The Lion King since I don't think Simba is quite that old yet. I thought it would be around Mufasa and Scar's time when Birth By Sleep was starting to begin. I admit I wanted to write Scar, though.**_

_**I'm aware they don't world travel until the actual start of BBS, but it was heavily requested, so to speak.**_

_**Thanks to Jimbob86 for reminding me their Keyblades have names, and telling me.**_

_**Also, thanks to everyone that has reviewed and other things, you guys are awesome! **_


	11. Meddlers

_~*.*Disciples of the Keyblade*.*~_

**Title:**_ Meddlers_

**Rating: **T to be safe.

**Warnings: **Some violence, blood

**Characters:** Ventus, Terra, Aqua, Master Eraqus, Sebastian, King Triton, Ariel

**Summary:** Under the sea, life is apparently better. When outsiders don't interfere anyway. Pre-BBS.

**Special Notes:** Oh my God I fail. So bad. This chapter is dedicated to the extremely patient **BoneNomad**, thank you very much for the Atlantica idea and the advice.

~***~

Ventus blinked, dumbfounded. All around him was the endless swirl of the sea. The water gave everything a strange appearance, as if it was moving. Technically, he guessed, it was. Didn't make it any easier to see. His skin could feel the pressure of the _huge_ amount of liquid that had to be crushing against his thin frame. There was no way he could be so far underwater and not be destroyed by the water's force.

And yet, here he was. Obviously breathing, against all odds.

He craned his head upward, and he felt…_weird_. Something about the sea…it seemed so…familiar. But why? Some memory stirred in the back of his head, the memories he could never access, that had been lost. It was right there! The answer. Somewhere between his heart and the tip of his tongue…

_Fwoosh!_

Ven started, whirling around in a trail of gleaming silver bubbles. A huge gray clam had just pried itself open and had released a small explosion of compressed air. The glittering spheres sailed towards the sky—_the ocean's top?—_which was only a gleaming veil of gold, thanks to the sun. The seafloor was dappled with strange moving patterns that never stayed still, crisscrossing everything like a child's coloring book. With all of the color out of the lines.

Seaweed, a dozen different kinds, waved in the currents and bright fish darted here and there. An eel coiled back into its dark hole slowly, yellow eyes staring balefully at him. Ven was about to move forward, when he noticed something very important.

He had no legs. He had a tail, really, like a mermaid. He swished the strange new appendage that couldn't possibly belong to him, frowning slightly. The skin was elastic and gray, but powerful muscles were bunched and clustered together underneath the surface. Ven twisted his head and saw the triangular shape of a dorsal fin on the back of his tail, farther up, nearer to where his skin resumed and the rubber ended.

Well. Apparently now he was half _dolphin_. That was fantastic. He liked dolphins, so he guessed it was acceptable. What had Eraqus said to him again? He closed his eyes, thinking.

_Master Eraqus turned to his apprentices, a brown box in his hand. "Now," he began firmly, flicking his gaze from Terra, to Aqua, to Ventus. "This is a very special artifact. I borrowed it from a powerful sorcerer for your next lesson. It will take you to a world and back."_

"_But Master, don't our Riders do that?" Terra objected. He had his arms crossed, staring at the simple wooden cube in Eraqus's palms._

"_Yes, Terra, but the next world is underwater. Even though it would be possible to take you there in your Riders, and possible to use transformation spells and the like, it is more trouble than it would be worth. No, the next world is an example of a world's natural magic, and how it can change you."_

"_What do you want us to do when we get there?" Aqua asked._

_Eraqus looked at her. "In reality? I want you to get used to the form you will assume when you arrive. It's important for a Keyblade Master to quickly adapt to any situation, even though I have another lesson on that matter. Mainly, I think this will be a good experience for you. Terra." He redirected his level gaze towards the oldest apprentice._

"_Yes, Master?"_

_Opening the lid, their mentor revealed a glowing, five pronged shape. It was a small star the size of Ven's fist, and it was the same color as the sun when it began to set. Bloody red and cat's fur orange. Eraqus carefully placed the object into Terra's hand._

_Terra's face seemed to become crimson in its radiance, and his eyes became an eerie shade of dark yellow. He grimaced. "What's this?"_

"_Take good care of it, Terra. I had to call in an old favor to use it, and it is not easy to get one of these."_

"_But what _is_ it?" Ven couldn't keep quiet any longer. He leaned forward, longing to touch it, even if it was just to see why Terra looked so uncomfortable._

"_Let's just say it's a special star. Terra, and in case anything happens, Aqua, I'm going to tell you how to use it."_

"_What if something happens to Aqua? I should know too." Ventus said._

_Eraqus sighed. "The world isn't really that dangerous, usually. But very well. It's extremely simple." He stated this in a way that implied, _"You can't possible mess this up."_ But he never really said that. "Envision the Land of Departure to return here. To leave…think of the ocean."_

"_I've never seen it." Aqua crossed her arms and rocked slightly on her heels. "I've read about it and saw pictures but…"_

"_It's okay; I know what it looks like." Terra shrugged._

"_Very well. That's all." Eraqus smiled. "Try not to get into trouble, will you?"_

Ven rubbed at his hair, glad for how thick it was. It didn't fall down into his face, which would have been a real hindering thing in battle. The sea was never quiet, it hissed and gurgled and roared in that (un)familiar way to the young teen, always in his ears. He felt curiously along his neck, expecting to run across gills or something, but there was nothing there.

"So apparently this world's magic has a thing against shirts? I had my favorite shirt on!" Terra's voice reached his ears clearly, despite the noise the water was creating.

Turning around, Ven smiled as he saw the oldest apprentice.

Terra was right in the fact that he didn't have a shirt—neither did he, now that he thought about it—which showed off how well muscled he was compared to any of the other apprentices. Of course, Ven was more wiry and catlike than the brute bear strength that the oldest protégé favored. His tail was a dark, deep, black, and the jagged dorsal fin clearly said to anyone that might have had a doubt before, _part shark, right here_! His brown hair wasn't as thick as Ven's, and because of this, it floated a little more freely around his face. His eyes sought Ven's out and he shrugged.

"Hey, Terra! Where's Aqua?" Ven swam out to him, which was easier than he had thought, enjoying the feeling of weightlessness that possessed his body. He was pleased to see he hadn't lost any of his speed, which was the only advantage he had over Aqua's magic and Terra's power.

"I don't know. Where is she? Aqua!" Terra cupped his hands to his mouth, raising his voice. The sea caught the sound and swirled it around rapidly, and the small encircled grotto they were in seemed to be filled with the girl's name.

"Here. You don't have to yell."

Ven looked up and laughed, realizing Aqua had been floating just above their heads, but she had her back to them, arms crossed. What was wrong with her? Was she okay? He went up to her level, but she twisted away from him again.

Hurt, and letting that same pain creep into his voice since he _knew_ she couldn't resist his devilishly handsome charm—or so he joked—Ven asked, "Hey, what did I do?"

She glanced at him guiltily and then looked away. "Nothing. I'm fine."

Terra laughed and shot up like a torpedo, and Ven had to kick his tail to keep still as the currents buffeted him. "She's blushing, look! Her face is all red."

"No, I'm not. Let's go." Aqua turned around but Ven grabbed her shoulder. She still had her shirt on, though it had changed somewhat. The long sleeves flowed behind her as if caught in an invisible breeze.

He peeked at her expression. "What are ya blushing for?"

"You're naïve. It's obvious." Terra laughed, clutching his chest and hunching over like it was the funniest thing in the world. "We're shirtless, if you haven't noticed."

"Yeah, but what—oh. It's not like she hasn't seen us like this before." Ven blinked, confused. There were plenty of lakes on the Land of Departure, and then he remembered that despite her name, Aqua wasn't heavily into swimming. She would be nearby under a tree reading, usually, whilst he and Terra were in the water.

Aqua glared at Terra. "Are you done acting childish? Let's _go_." Without waiting for them, she put on a burst of speed and sailed away through the sea, turning a corner.

"She's so weird sometimes." Terra followed her though, still snickering, and Ven took one last look around at the sunlit grotto and its colorful inhabitants before following.

They played something sort of like tag, dipping and diving and flashing around corners and bends and arches. Ven was impossible to catch, always darting out of the way at the last second. Terra had actually bashed his head on a stone during one attempt to nab the golden haired apprentice, and Aqua had to heal the bloody scrape.

"You deserved that," she had remarked playfully. Terra had growled and tackled her.

Ven let them fight like the immature teens they were—personally, he fancied himself a rather even minded boy, thank you very much—instead, he kicked off for the surface world. He wondered where they were, exactly. Under the sea, everything was beautiful and clean and full of vibrant life. What kind of world existed up there? Or was the whole entire planet nothing but blue, blue marine?

He burst through the waves, and in that instant he realized he had built up far too much speed. In a matter very similar to a dolphin, he ended up leaping into the air before crashing back down with a huge splash.

"Ouch!"

"Ow!"

Aqua had followed him up, and Ven hadn't noticed her. They collided once he fell back into the water, and tumbled through the ocean until they regained their balance. His entire world was too busy spinning to properly discern anything. Leave a message and he'd get back to reality as soon as he could, thanks.

Righting herself, Aqua shook him gently. "You okay?"

"Wazzat?" Ven's eyes were rolling, seeing only dark blue, light blue, and black. Aqua's hand on his shoulder was the lone thing that _wasn't_ flipping wildly. Someone needed to fix the horizon so he could get his head out of the clouds. After a few moments, everything steadied, and he got a good look as to where they had ended up.

They had tumbled quite a bit—_I must have done one spectacular jump to get so far down!—_and the sun was farther away than it had been. They were situated between two large stones also, which might have been the cause of the darkness. Aqua squeezed his shoulder again before letting go and drifting to the side a little.

"Well. We should get out of here, back to Terra," she murmured.

"How…how'd you get the world to stop spinning so fast?"

She stared at him like he was crazy for a moment before laughing. "Oh. Some people can take being dizzy better, Ven."

"You followed me, though? I was going pretty fast."

"Yeah, I noticed." Aqua smiled. "I realized you had left, so I pushed Terra away and tried to catch up. I guess I was at my top speed when you suddenly fell down on me."

"Right. Sorry."

She shrugged indifferently.

"Hey, you two! I know you're back there. Hiding from me. Real mature, guys." Terra sounded disgruntled, and his voice reached their ears from the other side of the rocks.

"We're coming out!" Ven called. The two large dark stones formed a sort of lopsided bowl shape, and the two apprentices had to build up some speed before they could jump back out of it.

Terra was waiting on the other side, arms crossed. Ven had been right, and once they had exited the dark enclave, everything was brighter again. "What were you two doing back there?" asked the brown haired disciple. There was something in his voice that made Aqua bristle.

"Oh, grow up." She huffed, smiling at Terra to take the sting out of her words. "Let's go find some civilization. I'm sure there's some here, _somewhere_."

Turns out, they didn't need to. Ven felt something latch onto his tail, and he bolted, taking off through the water, too startled to think. "Ouch! Hey, what's pinching me?" He wagged his fin hard, spying a red crab clinging by its claws to his tail-tip.

"Hey, mon! Quit it, stop it, whoa!"

Terra pulled off the red crustacean and held it between two fingers. "Oh, great. Talking crabs."

"Stop it, put me down!"

"Put him _down_, Terra." Aqua sighed and rolled her eyes. He shrugged and did so.

"_Thank_ you. Now, what do ya think you're doin'? You know the King said no one is allowed this close to da human shores! Can't ya see da sand slopin' up?" The crab crossed his arms and glared at Terra balefully, his tiny face showing a huge array of emotions. Anger and indignation was the most present.

"King? There's a King here?" Aqua looked thoughtful.

"Where there's a King, there are people!" Terra added.

The crab spluttered in surprise. "_King?_ Of course there's a King! You must be livin' wit' your head under a rock, mon! King Triton rules Atlantica and all things under the sea! How can ya not be knowin' this?"

"We're…not from around here. Way out of this ocean." Ven hastily said, and his friends agreed with straight faces. _Lying shouldn't be this easy_, the boy reflected.

"You've gotta be _far, far_ out of this ocean to not know the King…" The crab muttered. "Very well, very well! Dis way, then, I be takin' you to Atlantis then, that's what I'm gonna do!"

"Cool. What's your name?" Ven inquired casually.

"Sebastian, at your service! I advise da King, and I direct da musical entertainment."

"Musical entertainment?" Terra muttered incredulously to himself.

"My name's Ven, and this is Aqua and Terra."

"You all look a little young," Sebastian observed, motioning for them to follow as he swam out away from the shore, "To be out here all alone."

"We're big kids," Terra snorted with a slight edge of mocking sarcasm.

"Big enough to take on da sharks and da other creatures? Some nasty fish be down here, mon."

"It's no problem," Aqua shrugged.

"Alright, alright, I'm not gonna intrude any more. It's _your_ business where you come from, not mine. Let me tell you about Atlantica then, while you're here to visit."

So Sebastian launched into his whole spiel about the undersea life, saying he had been hanging near the rocks to catch the "daring merfolk" near the shore where they weren't supposed to be. He explained about how the hierarchy system worked, the city, how the economy operated, etc, etc.

Ven noticed Aqua looked entirely entranced, her short blue-silver hair flowing loosely around her, eyes trained on Sebastian. The crab didn't seem to notice that the two boys were hanging back now, not really listening.

"Hey, what's that over there?" Terra tapped Ven's shoulder and motioned to their right. Across the shimmering ocean, with its constantly shifting ceiling, two dark shapes were struggling wildly, with another odd shadow over their heads.

Ven's quick eyes took in everything. A boat, a man, and some kind of shark.

Shark. _Shark!_

This would be the part where someone cued the _Jaws_ theme, already in full swing. Ven pelted off, his Keyblade leaping into his hand, not once shifting his eyes from the monstrous black and white predator that was circling the man.

Apparently, the sailor had injured himself—maybe with the knife that was only lightly clutched in his hand—and blood had flowed from the wound. That had, in turn, attracted the shark. The mousy haired man was trying to hack past the net that was wound around his leg, catching him in its deadly embrace. Ironically enough, some fish were actually inside the ropy interior. The unfortunate guy even had his left arm caught.

"Ven! Get back here!" Terra shouted, but his voice was far behind the golden haired apprentice.

He got in-between the shark and the fisherman, swinging his Keyblade and bashing its snout in all in one swing. Its own blood flowed in ribbons from its snout, and it roared in agony, gnashing its teeth. Ven only just got his weapon up in time to block, fastening it vertically so it would have to bite past his Keyblade to attack. While it struggled, Ven took the knife from the man's hand—it felt weird in his grip, not a perfect extension of his arm, like his Keyblade—and sawed through the mess of brown vines. Once the panicked fisherman, entirely incoherent thanks to his terror, was safely back in his vessel, Ven turned back to the shark.

He summoned his Keyblade back from its jaws, but it wasn't really needed.

Terra attacked it from behind with such a blow that a good chunk of its pebbly hide was ribbed off in the process. It decided it had had enough, turning away and doggedly swimming as far from them as it could, following the currents, picking up speed until it was gone from sight.

Aqua had been only a little behind Terra, gasping for breath. She didn't look at Ven; she simply placed her hands on the side of the boat and began propelling it towards the shore.

"Why would you do that, mon?! That was a human! We don't meddle with human affairs!" Sebastian ranted, looking more shocked than angry.

"He was in trouble!" Ven objected. "And we're peacekeepers!"

Terra brought a hand to his face. "_That_ just blew our cover."

"_Cover_? We don't need to have a cover!" Ven couldn't understand why everyone was giving him grief over saving a man's life.

"Two words. World. Order." Terra hissed into Ven's ear before turning back to Sebastian. "But he has a point."

Ven glowered, wishing he could just run and run and _run_ like he could back home, letting the wind flow through his hair and celebrating the fact that _no one_ could catch him. But he couldn't do that underwater. He was unexpectedly sick of Atlantica and all of its undersea "glory". "Can we go now?" He asked.

Terra looked at him, surprised. "Why? Don't you want to see Atlantis?"

A swirl of silver bubbles signaled Aqua's return. She gave Ven an unreadable look, but switched her eyes onto Terra instead. "What's the matter?"

"Ven wants to go home."

Aqua twirled one strand of hair around her finger. "We should see Atlantis first."

"_We_ should? Or do _you_ want to see it?" Ven sighed, annoyed. Okay, sure, he had broken the "no meddling" rule. But the man had been in trouble. They were peacekeepers, right? Then how did they keep the peace without interfering?

Aqua sighed and ruffled his hair, but he shied away from her touch. Ignoring her hurt expression, Ven suddenly said, "Let's go to Atlantis, Sebastian. Please."

"The King will be hearin' 'bout this," the crab threatened, but he didn't really sound mad. Conflicted, sure. Not mad. "Dis way, dis way."

Ven, usually in the front, followed behind Terra, trailing at the back of the group, lost in thought.

~***~  
"Welcome to Atlantis, mon!"

Everything…was gorgeous. Colorful coral, humongous seashells, fantastic and intricate shapes and even more interesting people that spiraled and spun and dipped and flew at a million different angles in a chaotic harmony that Ven couldn't imagine any other way. Chariots pulled by seahorses, long creatures that resembled aquatic dragons that acted like tour buses, the massive emerald palace fringed with gold that dominated the colossal scene as its figurehead…

Ven forgot about his rebellious thoughts, letting his eyes take in the sight. He ducked quickly so a small cart, holding a lobster, could pass over his head. It was being towed by an angelfish, and it left a trail of delicate bubbles behind that popped after a few seconds. The currents of the water jumbled up a bit of the voices, but his ears seemed to take in all of the sounds and smooth them out before they even reached his mind.

"Whoa!" Ven and the others said a heartbeat too late, busy surveying the scene.

"Yes, yes, that's da reaction we usually be gettin' mon." Sebastian chuckled. "I'd love to take you, and show you around, but we need to take ya to the King! You've got to meet him."

"Are we in trouble?" Ven asked, his previous bad mood on the verge of returning.

The crab waved him off. "Probably not, mon. Triton, he be the merciful type. A warning is the worst you'd get."

"All right. Might as well." Terra put on his usual bored façade again, trying to hide his awe.

Aqua nodded and together they followed Sebastian towards the great palace, which curled and coiled like several great emerald eels winding together around one large spire. It was surrounded on all sides by tall walls, which Ven thought was rather pointless, since he could swim over them if he wanted.

Inside, they found several servants—not just the mermaids and the boys, but fishes too—bustling about doing whatever it was palace waiters had to attend to. Sebastian swam quickly, expertly taking them down a dozen different corridors.

As they went, Terra motioned for everyone to cluster near him. "After we meet Triton, we need to go. Eraqus will start to worry."

"Alright," Aqua agreed. Ven did the same.

Triton's throne room was in the center, with a high, _high_ ceiling. It was lit with an odd stream of golden bubbles that seemed to act like fire, coming out from the sconces on the walls and in torrents from the floor. Ven saw the King sitting on his throne, not looking at them, but the girl in front of them.

The girl was young, very young. Two, three, maybe four? It was hard to tell. She had brilliant red hair that flowed from her head in rivulets, and bright blue eyes. She also had a green tail that seemed to have an almost feathered, translucent edge. She turned to see the newcomers, smiling brightly.

"Hi! Who are you?"

"Sebastian," rumbled the King, looking at the crab with the same stern expression that Eraqus often had. "Who do you bring with you? Ambassadors?"

"No, Your Majesty. This here be some newcomers. They accidentally broke a rule, and I t'ink you should be informed."

Triton had a long, gray beard flecked with color and a yellow crown on his head. He was surprisingly well muscled for how old he appeared, with a blue-green tail similar to the person that Ven assumed was his daughter, from the way he looked at her. In one hand, he held a golden trident. It gave off the same aura of power that Aqua had said the Sword in the Stone contained. The golden haired apprentice looked at his friend curiously, seeing her facial expression shift. She was indeed "feeling" its magic again.

"Rule? What rule? Which one?" Triton's eyes were thunderous as he stared at the newcomers, but still, he had a wise look to his gaze. "Explain yourselves. Who are you?"

"They—"

"I said _them_ Sebastian." Triton sighed. The crab nodded and ducked his head.

Ven was about to speak, but Terra pushed him lightly to the side.

"I'm Terra, and she's Aqua, and he's Ven. We're from far away. We didn't know that you have a no 'meddling' rule. We're sorry. But Ven saved a human from a shark, that's all, and I doubt the man will recall anything from that incident. Even if he did, who would believe him?"

Triton shook his head. "You interfered with _humans_?"

"He was—"

"Ven. Shut up." Terra growled, grabbing the boy's shoulder just a little harder than necessary. Aqua shot him a look, and he loosened his grasp. Louder, he added, "I know, we won't do it again. We couldn't stand idle while someone was in danger. Human or not."

Triton was silent for so long, just leaning back into his throne with his eyes closed, pinching the bridge of his nose, that Ven wondered if he had fallen asleep. But, like Eraqus, that was only a ruse. After an eternity: "That…is a valid reason," he gruffly admitted. "But no more." He opened his eyes. "Do you hear me? No more meddling with human affairs! Sebastian, take Ariel and leave. I want to talk to these three alone."

"But _Daddy_," Ariel whined. "I want to talk to them too! They look so interesting, and—"

"No buts, Ariel!" Triton spoke over her protests, his eyes softening as his daughter huffed, annoyed, and departed unhappily with Sebastian. "Headstrong, stubborn daughter of mine," the King muttered affectionately.

Terra waited a few seconds, then: "We have somewhere we need to be. So unless you—"

"I'm not done. There's a reason I asked Sebastian to leave. There's something wrong here. You three couldn't tell your dorsal fin from your tail."

Aqua was just a bit too slow to hide her surprise, her hand going to her mouth before she swiftly dropped it.

"I thought so." Triton narrowed his eyes, not really suspiciously, but as if he was thinking through a hard puzzle. "Now, tell me the truth. You aren't from another ocean, are you?"

Terra hesitated.

The King nodded. "I see. Where are you _really _from? Don't fear, I won't be angry with you, no matter where you hail."

"We're…from a different world." Ven sighed.

"Tell me how."

"We're Keyblade apprentices." Terra looked as if he was admitting defeat about something.

Triton suddenly sat up and laughed. It was so sudden that Aqua and everyone else jumped slightly. "I see," the old King smiled, and it transformed his features so that he looked years younger. "I haven't had Keybearers here in years."

"W-What? You've had Keybearers—"

"Don't look so surprised. Did you think you were the only ones? I had almost forgotten. It's not hard to pick you out. The way you move, how you look around, if you had been under the sea your entire life, you'd seem more at home." Triton shook his head slowly. "But the golden rule still remains. For us to remain safe and undetected, we don't consort with humans."

"Are you going to kick us out?" Ven yelped.

"No." Triton looked insulted that it had even been brought up. "Of course not. But while you are here, as a mermaid or merman, you will _not_ meddle with human affairs. Do you understand me?" His eyebrows drew together into a bushy "V", and the apprentices nodded swiftly. "Good. Then you are welcome in Atlantis, as long as you abide by our rules, for as long as you like. And your secret is safe with me."

"Thank you, Your Majesty." Terra and the others bowed low from the waist.

Triton shrugged. "Now, how about you stay for dinner?"

~***~

Eraqus looked at his disciples with a somewhat amused expression. "It's rather late."

"We know, sorry. But the King invited us to dinner and—" Ven began, but their Master waved it off.

"No, it's all right. I wasn't exactly worried for you three. Together, I'm certain there's not a challenge you can't conquer."

Terra laughed. "You could have told us Atlantica was going to turn us into fish people."

"But then you'd expect it. And how would you adapt then?"

Aqua looked unsteady on her feet; they all did, after almost a day as "merfolk". "Master, King Triton told us Keybearers had been to Atlantica before. Always meddling."

Eraqus winked. "Oh, there were a few Keyblade Wielders that always had to put their nose in where it didn't belong. Drowning men, overturned boats, maybe a shark attack or two? I've been there. But no meddling, heavens no."

Everyone stared, speechless, as their Master turned and headed to his room, chuckling to himself all the while.

~***~

_**Right. Special thanks to **_**U**_n__**V**__e_**R**_s__**E**__d__** for his awesome advice on how to write Sebastian's accent. It would be far,**__ far__** worse than it already is if it wasn't for him. **_

_**As for the pairing drama in the last chapter, IGNORE that if you want. I wasn't really in my right mind, being in a worse state than I am now, and wrote some really dumb things without realizing it.**_

_**Anyway, thanks to everyone that has reviewed and stuff so far, and I hope you drop another!**_


	12. Captured

_~*.*Disciples of the Keyblade*.*~_

**Title:**_ Captured_

**Rating: **K+

**Warnings: **Comic mischief, a little violence

**Characters:** Ventus, Terra, Aqua, Master Eraqus, Jack, Sally, Lock, Shock, Barrel, Oogie Boogie, Santa Claus

**Summary:** A visit to Halloweentown results in an impromptu rescue mission. _Why _must they meddle? Pre-BBS.

**Special Notes:** This chapter is dedicated to **natcat5**, whom gave me the idea. **Several others did also**, but natcat5 was the first. Thanks a lot! **Axrat**, your suggestion is also in here. I hope you enjoy! Since this was so heavily requested, I put a lot of effort into this chapter. It'll end up as one of the longest so far. All of the costumes for the apprentices were designed by my friend **UnVeRsEd**, with the exception of Terra's. Though that was my idea, she came up with how it would look exactly. A very special thank you goes out to her for all the help she did with this chapter.

~***~

Ventus's armor retreated with a sharp flash of light that lingered in his vision for a few seconds. Blinking away the radiance, he took a good, long look at the environment around them.

The world seemed _dull_. Everything was a brown-gray-black color, or if there simply _had_ to be any other shade of hue, it seemed strangely quiet. Subdued. The blue, for example, of a flyer tacked to a crooked black streetlamp wasn't bright like it should have been; in fact, it looked like the vibrancy was drained from it. The sky was dark, with a scattering of stars that were far and few between, with a large yellow harvest moon hanging low on the horizon. Bent and twisted buildings made up the town that was just beyond the knobby, dark metal gateway before them. Ven realized he had materialized in some kind of dead-end, and the rectangular corridor only had one exit. And that was forward.

Jack-o-lanterns flared powerfully, yellow light leaking through grotesque faces, staring into oblivion with unblinking eyes.

These were the first words spoken by any of the trio once they entered Halloweentown.

"Why's everything so _pale_?" Ven exclaimed, turning around to look at his compatriots. Instantly, his eyes flicked to Aqua, and he gaped like a fish out of water, opening and closing his mouth.

Aqua looked at him with an identical expression of surprise, except her mouth stayed closed. "_Ven_?"

"_Aqua_?"

The female Keybearer's appearance had undergone a complete revamp, as Eraqus had warned them. Halloweentown was one of those worlds that changed newcomers upon arrival. She still had her general shape, with short blue hair and all, but she seemed almost…_scaly_. Her pale white skin had acquired a blue-green tint, and three horizontal slashes on either side of her neck resembled what Ven thought looked like gills. Where her ears should have been, webbed fins extended out of her pale locks, twitching slightly, though she didn't seem aware of the action. She had a tail similar to a mermaid's lower body, swishing from side to side, the scales catching the sparse light and reflecting it back in iridescent glimmers.

Aqua's eyes were the same though. A deep azure.

"What are you looking at?" Ven finally snapped out of his stunned reverie.

"You."

The blonde raised his hands and looked at them curiously. The fingers were faintly clawed, though not enough to seem catlike. Orange from the moon bounced off of the long black and white checkered wristbands he wore, and the matching rings on his fingers. From the corner of his eye, Ven noticed for the first time that he had white angel wings. They appeared to just be part of his outfit; since he couldn't move them, but he didn't know what muscles moved wings anyway. His clothes had assumed a white-gold tint, and he reached a hand up instinctively to feel the object whose slight weight had gained his attention. A small pumpkin ornament, one eye missing, the other being a swirl, rested above his right eye. He felt the small feathery wings that sprouted out from its sides with the tips of his fingers.

"Cool! I'm an angel!"

"I'm not surprised," Aqua remarked.

Terra groaned, bringing his hand up and smacking his face with a sigh. Staring at their older friend for the first time, Aqua and Ven broke into laughter.

"What?" growled the brown haired apprentice, glaring through his fingers at them. He pulled his hand back and looked stupidly at it. He was completely covered in fur. Earthy, coarse fur that seemed thick and shaggy and a little untidy, like his normal hair. His clothes were ripped slightly near the sleeves and at the bottom of his leggings, and that was probably because he had clawed paws for hands and feet. Terra didn't even get the benefit of his armored metal shoes, unlike the others. Pointed ears twitched in agitation on his head and his tail kinked itself up into knots, reacting to his annoyance. His dark blue eyes narrowed for a moment, then widened as he said incredulously to no one in particular, "Really? _Really_?!"

"He even has a snout!" Ven howled with laughter as his werewolf friend twitched his nose. Aqua clapped a hand over her mouth and twisted away.

"What's so funny?" demanded the elder boy. "I'm a wolf, sure, but Aqua's a _fish_."

Ventus switched his gaze onto Aqua and ended up laughing so hard that he struggled to breathe, taking in great gasping breaths as his female companion sighed and covered her face like Terra had a moment ago.

"Our costumes are better than his," Terra commented, pointedly ignoring Ven as he addressed Aqua.

"True. Halloweentown must be an interesting place for a set up like _this_." She gestured to herself.

Finally reigning in his mirth, Ven cleared his throat. "Right. What did the Master what us to do again?" He had an expression of exaggerated seriousness.

"We're to find someone named Jack Skeleton or Skellington or something like that." Terra scratched his ear thoughtfully with one heavy yellow claw.

_I wonder if he has fleas_, Ven thought with a barely suppressed snicker. "Yeah! Then what?"

"Don't you listen?" Aqua sighed with a smile in his direction.

"I do. I just want to be sure. Apparently Jack is behind some sort of attempted kidnapping of Santa Claus? But I don't get it. Who's that?" Ven asked.

Terra and Aqua exchanged a startled look, then their expressions smoothed out until they both seemed to be saying to one another, _that's right_. The poor boy had lost all of his memories. To Ventus, his life had only actually begun when he stepped into Eraqus's Castle for the first time.

"Santa Claus is…well, he's a guy that gives gifts to all of the good kids in the entire world." Aqua started awkwardly.

"But we're not from this world, are we?" Ven frowned. "So we don't get any?"

"Doesn't matter," Terra responded with a shrug. "Santa Claus can just…_do_ that. Somehow. I, personally, don't believe in any of this."

"Terra," Aqua scolded. "Stop ruining the fun."

"I'm not ruining it." Terra smirked at her, revealing a row of jagged fangs. The girl stuck her tongue out in response. The wolf-boy simply snickered and stepped ahead of them, ready to lead like always. "Alright. Let's get a move on. Act casual."

Ven and Aqua followed their friend through Guillotine Gate and into the main bulk of Halloweentown itself. The entire place was alive with activity, lights being dug out of boxes by an assortment of monsters that were all so bizarre that the trio of Keybearers fit in perfectly. No one gave them a second glance as a stream of zombie clowns rode by on unicycles, laughing manically. Ghosts moaned as they drifted by, carrying odd presents with Halloween wrapping paper. Mummies, werewolves like Terra, fish people like Aqua, and human-looking citizens all paraded by as they worked quickly to set something up.

"What's going on?" Ven asked in shock.

"I don't know. This whole place is out of control. But that doesn't look like Halloween stuff they're setting up." Terra muttered.

The blonde only had a rudimentary knowledge of holidays. Halloween was about having fun scaring people; Christmas was for caring about people. So…"But what does garland have to do with Halloween?"

Ragged, dead green wreaths were being placed on every door by a horde of vampires carrying tiny black umbrellas over their pale heads.

"Jack's upsetting the world order," Aqua placed her elbow in one hand and rested her chin on her palm, fingers drumming her cheek thoughtfully. "That's what the Master said."

"Isn't it meddling if _we_ interfere?" Ven questioned.

"I _think_ it is. But also, this whole 'no meddling' thing is a load of—"

"Terra!" Aqua snapped, glaring at him.

The wolf-boy twitched his ear. "Okay. It's ridiculous. We're supposed to maintain peace, but we can't maintain that peace without meddling."

"The key is finding the right point to set up some middle grounds." Aqua nodded at him.

"Right," Terra conceded. He flexed his fingers. "Let's ask around, see what's going on."

Ven didn't wait. He set off instantly, splitting up from his friends, searching the crowds for a relatively friendly face. Not watching where he was going, the boy bumped right into someone along the way. "Oh, I'm sorry," he apologized, putting his hands up and smiling nervously. He really hoped he hadn't walked into the Loch Ness monster or something…

"No, its okay," a soft voice assured him. Taking a step back, Ven examined the young woman he had collided with. She looked like a doll, wearing a patched brown and green dress. Her pallid gray-white skin was covered with multiple stitches, as if she had broken a _lot_ and had been sewn back together again and again and again. She also had long, dark amber hair that flowed down her back in neat, straight strands. She tipped her head to the side curiously, looking distracted but interested at the same time. "I'm sorry, but I've never seen you here before. Who are you?"

Tapping his fist against his chest and grinning, the protégé said, "My name is Ven. I'm new around here. I don't even know what's going on. This _is_ Halloweentown, isn't it?"

The girl sighed loudly, but her exasperation wasn't directed at him. "This _was_ Halloweentown. Jack's gone and gotten carried away. He even sent out Lock, Shock, and Barrel to 'escort' Sandy Claws back here."

"Why would he do that?" Ven thought Jack didn't sound like a particularly deadly name. Didn't every villain have threatening titles? Like Maleficent, or Chernabog? "Is he going to hurt him?" He added anxiously.

"Jack? No. The kids?" She shook her head. "Maybe. If they involve Oogie Boogie…Oh. My name is Sally, Ven. It's nice to meet you, though I'm sorry you have to see the town so out of sorts."

"It's fine. But, are _you_ okay?"

She wrung her hands. "Nervous. I'm afraid something _terrible_ will happen."

"It's gonna be alright Sally! My friends and I will help you however we can." Ven liked her already, though he wasn't sure exactly why. She seemed to be the only person in town not running around like their rears were on fire or the end of the world was coming unless they didn't finish their work.

"Where are your friends?" Sally asked.

Ven turned and pointed to Terra and Aqua, whom were a little apart from one another, talking to a zombie man and a fish-guy in a fountain. "We've…been sent here to maintain the world order." Some sixth sense told him that he could speak to Sally about this.

Sally looked surprised, then she nodded, and that was all she did. "Well, you couldn't have come at a better time…oh, here's Jack." She bunched her hands in front of her chest and sighed with a mixture of longing and something close to annoyance.

A tall skeleton with a toothy, cheery grin wearing a red outfit came striding towards them with a spring in his step. "Sally! Everything is going just _splendidly_, don't you think?" Seeing Ven, Jack frowned slightly. "I must have forgotten to give you an assignment, didn't I?" He didn't say it in an unfriendly way, as if it was an order, but as if he was feeling guilty about it.

"Er—I'm just helping Sally out." Ven beamed. "What're you up to?"

"Glad you asked!" exclaimed the former Pumpkin King. "I've decided to bring Sandy Claws here so he can relax whilst I give him a vacation. This year, Halloweentown will handle Christmas!"

Ven tipped his head to the side. That didn't sound very evil. Tapping his chin, the young blonde hummed a response.

Jack looked him up and down. "Your costume is rather Christmas-y…but…the white needs to be brighter!" He prodded Ven's chest with one long skeletal finger. "Sally, do you think its fine as it is, or should we…?"

"It's fine, but Jack, I—"

"If you're still worried about Sandy Claws, don't be. Lock, Shock, and Barrel won't hurt him." Jack assured her. Sally grimaced in response.

"Jack, I don't think this is a—"She started again, and Ven shared her irritation as the skeleton suddenly switched his attention elsewhere. The boy could tell he wasn't doing it on purpose to ignore her, but rather he was just very scatterbrained when excited.

"Look at that! The conveyer belt is under way! Come on guys, Christmas is just around the corner!" Jack shouted over the noise.

Sally turned to Ven. "We've been doing this Christmas thing for a while," she explained. "Someone got it into their heads to build an electric conveyer belt so we didn't just do it by hand…"

"So you guys are hostilely taking over Christmas?" Terra growled suddenly from behind Ven, and Sally lifted her eyes to look at him.

"Who are you?" she asked warily.

"Terra. This is Aqua." He pointed to the girl beside him. "You guys just can't—"

"I _know_," Sally sighed. "But Jack won't listen."

At the sound of his name, Jack turned back around. "Well, hello there! Welcome to Halloweentown. I've been here a long time, and I don't forget a face. You haven't been here before, have you?" He folded his elongated arms, not waiting for an answer. "Would you like to help with the preparations? It's so close to Christmas, I'm _excited_! And yet I still get the feeling I'm missing something important…"

"You can't just—"Terra began, but Aqua cut him off.

"Did you _ask_ Santa Claus if he wanted to…?"

"Ask?" Jack's face became completely blank all of a sudden. He looked stupefied. Quick as you please, a grin was back. "It's okay. I'm sure he won't mind. He'd probably appreciate a holiday!"

"But how do you know that?" Terra asked with a small hint of venom in his voice.

Jack didn't miss the hostility, but he shrugged it off. "Oh, just a hunch."

"What if someone took over Halloween without asking you?" Aqua said.

Jack frowned. "Well…I'd be more than happy to let Sandy Claws borrow Halloween for a year or two, if I can borrow Christmas," he replied, not really answering her question.

"_Really_?" Sally choked out.

"Sure! I—"He turned his head as a gate at the end of the plaza opened to reveal a bulging brown sack sitting in a walking, off-white, claw footed bathtub. Riding on top of the wriggling thing were three kids. One was dressed as a small devil, the other a witch, and the last a skeleton. They wore masks over their faces that matched their costumes.

The devil removed his mask with a flourish, revealing a pointed, pale face with blue lips and dark eyes. "Jack, Jack!" Lock called. "We've got him!"

"I'm sure it's him this time," the witch pulled hers away too, showcasing a face similar to Lock's. Shock grinned and bounced with excitement, her high voice bubbling with anticipation.

"Right," the skeleton agreed, yanking off his mask. A round, wide lipped face beamed with a foolish joy. Barrel hastily removed himself from the tub, followed by the others.

This _time?_ Ven thought, remembering Lock's words.

Jack grinned. "Splendid!" He took just a few steps, his long stride decimating the distance easily, and settled near the sack. He opened it, and out popped an old man's indignant face, red hat sliding over his eyes.

"What's the meaning of this?!" spluttered the person Ven assumed was Santa Claus. Or was it Sandy Claws?

"It's an honor to have you here in Halloweentown sir," Jack began earnestly. "And I want you to know that this year, you have a day off. We'll handle Christmas!"

"Day _off_? What—"

As usual, Jack ignored any interruptions. "I want you to know that I'm a huge fan of your work, and I'll try my best to do as well as you. Now, I want you to _relax_. And don't worry; it's no trouble at all!"

"But I don't _want_ a day—"Santa began again.

Jack blinked—somehow, without eyelids—and suddenly plucked Santa's red hat. "There we go! I knew I was missing something. Now, kids, be good and take him somewhere nice to rest. And leave that _no-good Oogie Boogie out of this_," he growled.

"Wouldn't dream of it, Jack!" Lock told him, pulling the drawstring closed again and leaping back into the walking bathtub.

Jack wore Santa's hat now, and he looked like an undead, very skinny Saint Nick. "Ho ho _ho_! No…." His face became thoughtful as the mechanics of the laugh escaped him.

Ven was perplexed, astounded. It had all been so fast; Terra and the others couldn't even react.

"Jack, you can't _mean_ this!" Sally pled.

"Of course I do! This'll be the best Christmas Halloweentown has ever had!"

Terra tapped Ven's shoulder. "Go after those kids and release Santa Claus. We need to ask him some questions."

Aqua nodded. "But are you sure Ven will be okay?"

"I'll be _fine_. I can handle children." Ven sprinted after the bathtub, leaving Aqua and Terra to try and deal with the eccentric Pumpkin King and his exasperated friend.

~***~

Ventus couldn't believe he had almost lost its trail. If the ground hadn't turned muddy a little farther on, he would never have found the stupid kids and Santa. The footprints the tub left were as bright as a beacon to the Keybearer, and he hastened after them, trying to figure where they were going, and why they were heading farther and farther away from town.

Was "somewhere nice to rest" _outside_ of the town?

Ven put on a burst of speed, enjoying the sensation of the wind flowing past him, feeling as if his feet weren't touching the ground. Coming to a halt, he stared up at a huge, lopsided tower that seemed to be made from spare bits and pieces of other buildings. It looked ready to collapse. "Whoa," he murmured.

The kids were taking a ramp up to a large birdcage, using it as an elevator with Santa Claus still inside the bathtub. Ven could hear them talking to one another, their voices fading as they went up higher and higher.

"Give Mr. Sandy Claws to Oogie Boogie?" The three chorused as one.

"I wanna do it," Lock objected.

Barrel shook his head. "Let's draw straws," he suggested.

Shock bopped them both on the skull. "No, we should do it together."

"Three of a kind," Barrel grinned.

"Birds of a feather," agreed Lock.

"Now and forever!" The trio of friends started laughing, and that was the last Ven heard before they drifted out of hearing. Running up the slope and craning his head up to survey the mess of a building, he quickly commandeered another elevator and started up after them.

_They're giving Santa to Oogie Boogie. Jack doesn't like him, so…he must be someone bad._ Ven reasoned. Upon entering the run-down place that seemed ready to break apart over his head, the boy looked left and right, but saw no sign of the kids. Maybe they had already gone up the flight of stairs?

The inside resembled a twisted child's playroom. He shivered as he carefully picked his way through the mess of "play things" on the floor that resembled torture devices. "How can a bathtub vanish so fast?" Ven muttered.

He turned a corner, looking left and right all the while, not quite sure what to expect. There was a strange black metal mouth on the wall, the opening being a large tube with a swirly eyed face above it. There were weird sounds issuing from within.

Frowning, the blonde headed towards the disturbance. He poked his head inside the chute, and he recognized the noise as voices echoing up from somewhere down below.

"Who _are_ you?" Santa asked.

A deep, cackling voice replied, "Who am I? _Who am I_? I'm the Boogie Man!" He proceeded to give a wild laugh that rebounded loudly back up to Ventus.

_Oogie Boogie_, he realized. The kids had broken their promise like _that_. Before he could contemplate anything else, three voices, shrieking with laughter, sounded from behind him.

Ven turned around just in time to see a large, blunt hammer swing into his chest and knock him down the open mouth. Everything became dark and chaotic, and the startled boy struggled to get a grip on the smooth metal, but to no avail. After an impossibly long time of twists and turns, he was catapulted out onto the cold, hard floor.

Groaning, and rolling onto his side as he tried to get his bearings, the boy opened one sky blue eye. The room was dark and circular, with odd neon-light style things hanging on the walls. The bats in the room had stripes that glowed in the dark, dull yellow, like dying fireflies. Some of the skeletons had identical markings, though theirs were purple. In fact, when Ven looked harder, the whole room looked like…

A giant roulette wheel. The tiles on the ground resembled the little slots, with bats, spiders, skull heads…

A boisterous shout attracted Ven's attention. "Well, well, well. What do we have here?"

Ven's eyes widened as he looked up at what seemed to be an animated, fat, humanoid burlap sack. Stitches kept the brown, filthy material together, and there were only two dark holes for eyes. He got to his feet swiftly, Keyblade materializing in his grip. He pointed it backwards and knelt down, ready to fight.

Oogie Boogie laughed uproariously. "Oh, he's going to _battle_ me. I must say, you're feistier than that Sandy Claws fellow." He jabbed towards the middle of the roulette wheel, and Ven gasped as he saw Santa, his arms tied over his head, struggling to move as he waited on the center platform. The outlandish lighting made everything look purple-blue and turned white things dark.

"Let Santa go!" Ven demanded, his body tense as he waited for the inevitable mêlée.

"Let him go? _Let him go_?" Another round of guffaws. "Why _ever_ would I do that? He's snug as a bug in a rug! Please, why don't you…_stay a while?_" He stomped a strange tile on the floor, and the next thing Ventus knew, he was shot into the air as the ground rose up with a sharp hiss. He landed hard on his back, and Oogie chuckled heartily as he started stepping on more of the hidden buttons, knocking the stunned apprentice Keybearer around.

On the tenth collision, Ven was too dazed to even stand up. His Keyblade clattered from his hands and vanished with a white musical flash. Oogie snatched the collar of his shirt and lifted him up to eye level. The blonde grimaced as a snake shot out of the monstrosity's mouth and came within an inch of his face.

"My name is Oogie Boogie, and _you_ aren't goin' _nowhere_."

Ven shot a fireball from his hand in response, and the creature gave a shout of pain.

"Why you…! I hope you enjoy your stay, you and the big guy are goin' to be here for a long time!" Oogie flicked his wrist, sending Ven to the ground a few feet away, and concentrated on putting out the flames that were starting to ignite.

Ven got to his feet doggedly, but then Oogie lumbered to the center and started spinning an orange and black wheel. The roulette chamber began to turn, and the Keybearer struggled to maintain his balance. Three slot machines shaped like skeletal gangsters wielding guns began firing at him, and he raised his Keyblade hastily to block the bullets.

"He's only a kid, let him go!" Santa objected, sounding dizzy himself since he was whirling around constantly on his little pedestal.

Oogie just chortled in response. "Your game is nearly over, Keybearer! You haven't got a prayer!"

Ven twisted around as giant cards from the ceiling, sharp as axes, began to move towards him. He had to fight the relentless spiral of the wheel to escape coming into contact with the bladed edges.

Meanwhile, the Boogie Man tossed some dice. They landed in the eye sockets of a violet skeleton, and out they poured from its mouth. Oogie scowled as he saw the number. "Snake eyes?" He slammed the floor in agitation, and they rolled over to display…"Eleven! Game, set, and match! Gaw hah haw!"

"Oh…snap…" Ventus was breathing hard. This was too much all at once. He climbed up onto the gun wielding slot machines and took refuge on the top, since they were unable to change what direction they were aiming in. From there, he jumped to the center and brought his Keyblade down in a direct vertical slash. Oogie retreated, but a large gash still appeared in the flimsy material of his body. Two dozen or so squirming bugs escaped the wound.

"Oooh you'll pay for that!" Holding himself together—literally—Oogie called, "Fire!"

Ven turned around too slow, even with all of the speed he had at his disposal. He couldn't outrun a gun.

_Bang!_

The dart clipped his shoulder, and the world started to become blurry. "You're…so…dead…" Ventus staggered, his Keyblade disappearing. He collapsed on the ground, eyes slipping closed.

"That wouldn't have worked on Jack, no blood you know. But you, it'll do just fine!" More laughter. "If I'm dead, you're _double dead_! We'll have loads of fun, you and me!"

That was the last thing Ven heard before he slipped into unconsciousness. The last thing he thought was, _Terra…Aqua…help me…_

~***~

_**This will be continued from Terra's POV next chapter. Why? This one-shot would be about twenty—maybe more—pages if I put it all together. I would end up POV switching anyway so you could see how Terra and Aqua get to him. So I decided to split it apart, hope you don't mind.**_

_**It was either this, or wait 'till next week for an update. **_

_**Mind dropping a review? I'm actually attempting to follow the movie's plot with this one, even if it might be a little too early for it. **_

_**Thanks to everyone that has this on favorites/alerts etc, from the people that read and tell me what they think to the folks that don't say a single word. **_


	13. Rescued

_~*.*Disciples of the Keyblade*.*~_

**Title:**_ Rescue_

**Rating: **K+

**Warnings: **Comic mischief, violence

**Characters:** Terra, Ventus, Aqua, Master Eraqus, Jack, Sally, Lock, Shock, Barrel, Oogie Boogie, Santa Claus

**Summary:** A visit to Halloweentown results in an impromptu rescue mission. _Why _must they meddle? Pre-BBS.

**Special Notes:** This chapter is _still_ dedicated to **natcat5**, whom gave me the idea. **Several others did also**, but natcat5 was the first. Thanks a lot! **Axrat**, your suggestion is also in here, obviously. I hope you enjoy! This Halloweentown concept was so long that I split it so you could get an update and it wouldn't be twenty plus pages. And that's ridiculous for an one-shot.

~***~

Aqua's eyebrows met as her brow furrowed in anxiety. "But are you sure Ven will be okay?"

Ventus flashed her a grin. "I'll be _fine_. I can handle children." With that, he turned and pelted off after the bathtub, vanishing from sight as he rounded the corner.

Terra snorted, turning to Jack as he began issuing rapid orders about what ghoul should do what, or what specter should do this. The skeleton's face was almost split in half thanks to the huge skeletal smile that dominated most of his features.

Sally twirled one strand of hair around her finger, her expression was uncomfortably close to something like fear, making Aqua's anxiety look petty in comparison.

Jack whirled around unexpectedly and exclaimed, "Terra! I need you for something."

"_Me?_" The werewolf managed to sound both skeptical and surprised.

"Of course! Now that I think about it, I don't think anyone else can get this job done. I need your help with a little project of mine. You _do_ know Christmas is only tomorrow night, don't you?"

Terra flicked his ears. _Christmas is tomorrow night? Jack waited a while to kidnap Santa didn't he? _

Without waiting for a response, Jack plowed straight ahead with his plan. "We have these reindeer, you see, and I'd like you to help me hook them up."

"To what?"

"The _sleigh_, silly! Dr. Finklestein created these reindeer just for Christmas! They'll be my team as I deliver presents to the world." Jack's voice turned strangely soft, as if the mere concept was awe-inspiring. He also seemed capable of _looking_ straight at Terra even without eyes.

Deciding he might as well—and maybe he could talk to Jack while he was at it—Terra agreed. He turned to nod at Aqua for a moment, still standing near Sally, before trailing after the former Pumpkin King. The rest of the square was still in a frenzy, ignoring all conversation in favor of their work, conveyer belts humming as a clock that Terra just noticed ticked the hours until Christmas. Jack's long strides were difficult to keep up with, but eventually they reached the center of the activity. A large sled that gave the illusion of being decrepit sat on a raised podium, a huge bag swelling with gifts resting on one end.

Now, Terra didn't have a lot of memories of Santa Claus—he had outgrown it pretty fast—but even he knew that the sleigh wasn't quite so…gray and black and _dead_ looking. Skeletal reindeer nickered and shook their pale heads as Jack walked towards them. A clown on a unicycle passed him a bundle of leather, and Jack got to work creating harnesses and brindles.

_Ugh…clowns._

Terra shrugged, kneeling down and letting his claws pick apart the material, mimicking the skeleton as he worked. "Jack…"

"Everything's going flawlessly so far!" He exclaimed before he could get a word in edgewise, as usual. "I'm thrilled, really. I'm just outright delighted."

"Quit that!" A growl ripped through Terra's throat, sounding like rumbling thunder.

Jack's jaw dropped open. "What?"

"You talk over _everyone_. Did you know that?"

A pause. "No."

"So, can I talk now, or are you going to interrupt again?"

Jack shrugged, looking almost ashamed. "No, no. Go ahead."

"Right. Why are you taking over Christmas?"

"Oh, when you phrase it like that, it sounds so vile. I'm _borrowing_ it! I'm not stealing!"

Terra raised his furry eyebrows. "Really. And, are you going to tell me that you asked Santa for permission? Even spoke to the guy? Aqua was right. If someone marched in here and said they were going to take over Halloween, what would you do?"

Jack seemed thoughtful, dropping the brass rings and the leather from his bony fingers. "Well…I don't know. But I don't mean it like that. I'm not going to keep Christmas forever. Just a year, or two."

Flicking his tail sharply, Terra shook his head and hooked the harness onto one of the clacking reindeer.

"You and Sally say the same thing…" Jack continued, musing aloud.

"Maybe we're right?"

"Hmm," was all the former Pumpkin King replied. They worked in silence following that, and it was only after they had finished, sometime later, that Terra began to wonder where Ven was. It made him uncomfortable, since they had been creating the sleigh equipment for over an hour.

"Hey, Aqua!" Terra shouted, spotting the girl talking to Sally in an obscure corner. Her head snapped up and she looked at him in something like alarm. He gave her a quick wave and she headed for him swiftly, bounding through the crowds.

"What's wrong?" She demanded as soon as she approached. Terra realized his face was set into a worried scowl, and that was probably the cause of her concern.

"Where's Ven?"

Aqua paled under her already dull blue-green skin. "He's not back yet?"

"No. We need to go look for him." Terra took a step in the direction that Ventus had gone, and suddenly Jack was there, talking to him before his ears even registered what the skeleton was saying.

"Terra, Aqua, Sally, I need you three for one more thing. That's all."

"A friend of ours is in trouble," Aqua started courteously, but she might as well have been trying to get some sense out of a rock.

"I know, I know," Jack said, apparently not really listening. Sally pursed her lips, and Terra guessed this was normal. "But just _one_ thing. Just one."

"How long?" Terra snapped, his claws digging into his furry palms.

"Oh, less than an hour, if we hurry."

"Okay, but quickly." Aqua's gaze turned even more anxious than it was. "What do you need?"

Jack sighed and crossed his bony arms. "It's quite annoying, really. You see, there's this pot the witches use to see things that are far away. The townsfolk want to see me on Christmas when I deliver the presents."

"The witches use a pot? Don't you mean the stuff _inside_ is what they use?" Terra skeptically remarked.

"Yes, yes, you get the point though. If we head over to the Curly Hill, I'm certain we can get the materials needed in no time at all. But it's very important." Jack was instantly serious, his skeletal face set in a stern frown.

"Wait," Aqua began slowly. "If we help with this, can we borrow the pot for a moment?"

"Oh, sure. No problem. We'll just have to get some extra materials and that'll be that."

Terra caught on quickly. They could use the potion to find Ven. Otherwise; they could be bumbling right into a trap, if their friend had somehow gotten captured, that is.

_That'd be just like the kid; insisting that he can handle something and ends up unconscious somewhere._

Sally gestured for everyone to follow her. "I know the herbs around here; we'll find your friend soon." They swiftly crossed the town's square and plunged down the spindly dirt road to a large pumpkin patch. A black hill that thinned near the top and curled in on itself was the centerpiece.

Jack unrolled a scroll, running his long fingers across the sheet. "Ah, here we go. First, we need—"

Terra snatched the parchment, impatient, scanning the list of seven items. He sent Aqua after two things, Sally after three, and memorized the appearance of the last two before unceremoniously tossing the scroll back to the former Pumpkin King.

Sniffing around, claws tearing deep furrows into the earth, the wolf-boy skulked through the dead foliage, tearing apart thorny vines as he sought to locate the missing plants. The huge moon offered a great deal of illumination, even if Terra's eyes seemed accustomed to the dark.

Twenty minutes later, the herbs were located. Ignoring the scrapes that littered the pads on his hands, Terra demanded crossly, "Now, Jack, can we go see these witches? Our friend could be in danger!"

Jack nodded and began walking quickly back towards Halloweentown. "It's almost Christmas Eve morning, aren't you excited?"

"A little," Aqua acknowledged politely. She swished her tail, coiling it over her back.

Three reptilian skinned witches riding skinny brooms and wearing ridiculous black hats circled them as they re-entered the town. After depositing the various items in the pot, the group watched and waited, unable to speed the process as the concoction came to a boil.

"Yes, we have more than enough," one witch rasped, nodding her head. "Who do you seek?"

Terra grimaced, hating how their high pitched voices squealed on every "e". "Our friend, Ven. Ventus."

A scrawny witch passed her hand over the kettle. The murky, bubbling, steaming surface cleared unexpectedly to reveal…

"Oh no!" Sally gasped.

Jack hissed crossly, his bony face scrunching up in his agitation. Aqua gripped Terra's arm, _hard_, her nails digging into his fur, eyes fixated on the sight in the pot.

Ven was struggling, his arms tied behind him, strapped to a purple wooden post. The vision was draped in shadow, making it hard to see anything beyond that. A large, fat, sack-person was traipsing around the blonde, laughing in his face.

Aqua clenched her teeth harder. Terra outright snarled, gripping the metal rim and snapping, "_Who_ is _that_?"

"It's Oogie Boogie," Jack sighed. "And it looks like he got your friend."

"Peculiar, isn't it?" Sally said thoughtfully. "He never leaves his room. How would he capture Ven?"

"Obvious," squeaked a witch. "Those three troublemakers lured him there. Look!"

On the very edge of the foggy image, there was a splash of red.

"_That's_ where they took Sandy Claws." Sally's face became the closest to a glare than Terra had ever seen.

"Where's Oogie Boogie?" Aqua crossed her arms and took a deep breath, addressing both the former Pumpkin King and Sally.

"He lives in his old manor, near the valley…." Jack sighed. "Why is he always intent on ruining my fun?"

"Fun?" Terra exploded. "How can you think of that with—"

Aqua put her hand on his shoulder, and his anger evaporated. Whether it was from her touch or magic, he did not know.

"Take us there. Please."

Looking at the amphibious girl and her barely restrained wolf companion, Jack made his choice quickly. "Yes, of course I will. I should have known better than to trust Lock, Shock, and Barrel."

"I'm coming too," Sally stepped forward. "We have to rescue Sandy Claws, and Ven."

Jack looked reluctant, but nodded. "This way!" After yelling to some two-faced mayor that he would be back, the skeleton and his compatriots raced down the path, the world flying behind them.

_Hang on, Ven. We're coming._

_~***~_

The place had to be ready to fall apart at any moment. Terra felt that they should have looked at the pot some more, searched for a trap, but now that he knew exactly where Ven was and at least who he was with, they had more info than if they had just followed his tracks. Right?

Jack shook his head. "I banished Oogie quite some time ago. There's a difference between scary fun and _scary_ 'fun'."

"Lock, Shock, and Barrel are nowhere to be found," Sally murmured thoughtfully. "Where have they gone?"

The birdcage rattled to a halt, and Terra sprinted forward. The only thing in the world that could possibly stop him at that moment called his name, and he turned to face her impatiently.

"Wait, Terra. We're jumping into the lion's den here." Aqua shifted her weight from foot to foot. "We need to find another way in."

"Agreed," Jack grinned. "There's a back way, I think. Follow me, everyone!" The former Pumpkin King slunk down a narrow side path, with the others trailing after, Sally bringing up the rear. They successfully located, after a few minutes of feverish searching, a small window. Rusty metal bars kept out any intruders, but a blow from Terra's Keyblade ripped them apart. Prying out the last of the rails, the wolf-boy leaped in without waiting for anyone else.

He landed almost silently, crouching low to the ground and placing each paw down carefully to make as little noise as possible. His gaze lifted up from the heavily shadowed corner he had dropped into, and he had to suppress a gasp after that.

A lava pit was in front of him. It glowed orange and snapped yellow tendrils of blistering heat. Terror flooded every cell in Terra's body as he saw Ven and Santa strapped to a flat platform that was tilted towards the fiery expanse. The pair didn't notice him, too busy struggling and yelling threats.

"C'mon Ven," Terra muttered. "They're bonds, sure, but you have magic."

The blonde must have heard him, because his head snapped up unexpectedly. He locked eyes with his friend and relief made his body relax. He mouthed silently, "Terra!"

Aqua crept to his side, Jack behind her. "This is horrible."

Terra prepared to jump, but the skeleton said, "Wait." He was about to protest, but Oogie suddenly exclaimed in a loud voice;

"And _what_ do we have _here_?" He laughed suggestively, and the eldest apprentice realized that Sally's leg was moving independently, tucked up a small tunnel, so that was the only thing that the sack man saw. The rest of her was kneeling down and untying Ven silently. How she had gotten there, he did not know. Maybe there was more than one way in.

Terra had to admit, he was impressed. The girl was right behind the Boogie Man after all, only a few feet away. Oogie was guffawing and tickling her foot, but she paid it no mind. Ven's bonds fell away, and quick as you please, he whirled around and started undoing the black wires that were fastened to Santa's hands.

"That black wire is magical," Aqua muttered, her eyes not leaving the blonde's.

Deciding not to comment, and simply trusting his friend's uncanny sensitivity to magic, Terra waited, his muscles tense.

Oogie pulled on Sally's leg, and out it came. Without a body. "What?!" He bellowed. Turning, he lumbered towards the slanted metal platform. Luckily, he couldn't see the escaped prisoners from his current viewpoint. Ven and Santa positioned themselves beside the Keybearers in the very crowded shadows.

"Trying to make a fool out of _me_?" roared the Boogie Man. He pulled the thick sheet back and unexpectedly recoiled. Jack Skellington was reclining on it instead of his two would-be captives, eye sockets narrowed.

"Hello, Oogie." He said coldly.

"Ah, Jack. You see, this is all a misunderstanding."

"I understand perfectly what you were doing. Is that any way to treat a guest? How _dare_ you treat my friends so shamefully?"

Terra had never seen Jack like this before. There was no trace of a smile on his skeletal face, his hat hidden inside a pocket.

"No, no." Oogie laughed and stomped a panel. "_This_ is the way to treat a guest!"

A card fell from the ceiling, sharp as a guillotine, and the Pumpkin King rolled easily out of the way.

"Now," growled Terra. He bounded from the metal platform to the battle arena between Oogie and Jack, Keyblade in hand. Aqua and Ven followed, with Santa and Sally wisely hanging back.

Gunshots rang out from around them, and the sound was alien to the Keybearers, though they knew some worlds had such horribly effective devices. Aqua threw up a reflective, crystalline barrier and launched fireballs at Oogie. Ven became a whirlwind, his feet barely touching the ground. Jack tossed flaming pumpkin heads and icy snowflakes, which was surprising, since Terra hadn't once considered the skeleton a fighter.

Terra himself felt an unfamiliar rage build up inside of him. The idea of Ven almost dying made his heart ache furiously. With a wordless cry, he extended one clawed hand and shot something dark and spiraling out from his fingertips. The sack monster had been avoiding most of the attacks by doing a combination of fleeing and pressing various hidden buttons that did an assortment of nasty things, but this was as unexpected for him as it was for Terra.

Oogie took the strange attack's force, but only half of it. It clipped his shoulder and spun him around. Stumbling and yelping, he tried to regain his balance. Aqua attacked then, sending him tripping towards Terra.

The elder Keybearer was too stunned to do anything. He stared stupidly at his hand. _What was _that_?_

Regaining his senses—and just barely evading taking yet another nasty blow from Jack—Oogie hit Terra's hand with more power than he would have thought possible. His Keyblade flew from his hand and coiled through the air.

Aqua and Jack both gasped as Oogie cackled again. Terra wished at that moment that he _had _paid attention during magic lessons.

Before he could react, before Oogie could say more than, "Bye, bye, _Keybearer_!" and prepare to push another switch, there was a twin flash of light.

And Terra realized there had never been a clatter. His Keyblade had never hit the ground.

"_Now_ you're double dead."

Oogie split into three sections, with two long gashes along his sturdy cloth frame. A veritable horde of bugs poured out from his body, a very good deal of them cascading into the still open lava pit. A disembodied voice screamed in an ever higher pitch, "My bugs! My bugs!"

And standing there, smiling, was Ventus.

Wielding his own Keyblade in one hand, and Terra's in the other.

"I said I'd get that guy. That was a perfect opportunity right there." He twirled Earth Shaker before he tossed the brown-haired disciple his weapon, and Terra caught it without thinking.

"Wow," Aqua said simply.

"That about sums it up," Terra agreed.

Jack was sweeping the rest of the insects into the fiery depths, with Sally helping. Santa stomped on the last blue centipede, grinding it under his heel. The skeleton looked ashamed, approaching Saint Nick unhappily.

"I'm sorry, Sandy Claws. You got into this mess because of me. And as everyone keeps telling me, I guess I should have asked your permission before I took over Christmas." He offered back the scarlet hat. During the battle, Jack's red suit had torn, revealing a black tuxedo underneath.

Santa snatched his cap from Jack's fingers, jamming it onto his head. "Yes, you _should_ have asked! Jack Skellington, you have _got_ to be the most _eccentric_ person I've _ever met_. This whole town is _crazy_! If I wanted to find someone with any _sense_ here, I'd listen to _them_!" He pointed a finger at both Ven and Sally, standing side by side.

Jack flinched. "Can you still save Christmas? Is there time?"

His expression relaxed just a bit, perhaps sensing the skeleton's chagrin. "Of _course_ there's time! I'm _Santa Claus_!" He emphasized his name, trying to get across that he was not "Sandy Claws". He rubbed his nose and lifted off, straight up the pipe he and Ven had hurtled down. He left sparkling snowflakes in his wake.

"Oh, Sally. Why didn't I listen to you?" The skeleton sighed and looked up, smiling softly as she took his hands in hers.

"Don't worry, Jack…"

She started to say more, but Terra never heard, because Ven suddenly whooped, "It worked! I had two Keyblades at once! I mean did you _see_ me? I was like, ka-SLASH! One toasted sack-boy!"

Aqua laughed and hugged the youngest apprentice tightly. Terra rubbed his blonde hair affectionately.

"You can handle kids, huh?" teased the girl.

Ven huffed. "Well. They got me from behind. Annoying little pests."

"Too bad, Jack has all of that Christmas stuff…" Terra snickered at their expressions, though his heart still felt heavy. "What? A Goth Christmas would be great."

"Let's go home. We saved the world's order, like the Master asked." Aqua suggested.

After escaping the manor and saying good bye to Jack and Sally, the trio assembled to return to the Land of Departure.

"Psst," Ven whispered to Terra. The distracted Keybearer knelt slightly to hear the blonde's words. "I asked Santa if he would let Jack try Christmas. If I'm on the Good List, he'll have to let it come true, right?"

Terra smiled. "Sure. He'll be looking for _any_ reason to condemn you, though."

_Kind of redundant, doing all of this if Ven is just going to wish for Jack to have Christmas some year..._

_~***~_

Master Eraqus was staring hard at Terra as the triumphant apprentices met him in the castle gardens.

After hearing their tale, he smiled and dipped his head. "I'm impressed, certainly. I'm glad everything went well. Do not think I was unaware of Ventus's plight."

"Cutting it close, Master." Aqua fretted.

He nodded at her. "I will no longer be so foolish as to wait and observe. But you came through, like I always knew you would. Terra, Aqua, your Master Qualification Exam is due very soon…"Eraqus still gazed only at Terra as he spoke, making him uneasy.

"I can't wait. I'm glad to not be a fish anymore, though." The girl frowned at herself. "Do you know how _annoying_ scales can be?"

Ven sighed melodramatically. "Oh, but I'm not an angel anymore."

"You _always_ are." Aqua pinched his cheek playfully and skipped back a step as he struck out lightly at her in response. She looked up and her smile diminished slightly as she met Terra's eyes.

_Why is she looking at me like that? Why is Eraqus watching me like that? At least Ven isn't. But still._

_Are they…afraid?_

~***~

_**Sorry for the late update. I had trouble finding a way to execute this chapter. So, don't make a big deal out of it. I already know, it deviates from the original plot, etc, etc. Out of all the one-shots I do, this one will probably be nearest to the actual start of Birth By Sleep. **_

_**Musical Inspiration for this chapter was none other than the Halloweentown songs in Kingdom Hearts II, both the battle one and the relaxed one.**_

_**The American BBS website is out, though as of now it only says the American release is confirmed. For summer, I believe. And when it is released in English, this collection ends. Until then…**_

_**Be sure to drop a review, they make my day, as always.**_


	14. Improvisation

_~*.*Disciples of the Keyblade*.*~_

**Title:**_ Improvisation_

**Rating: **K+

**Warnings: **Some violence, very minor blood, another half-formed swear word

**Characters:** Aqua, Terra, Ventus, Master Eraqus, Shenzi, Banzai, Ed

**Summary:** Learning to think on one's feet was an important trait of a Keyblade Master…Aqua just wished she didn't have to think on four. Pre-BBS.

**Special Notes:** This chapter is dedicated to the extremely patient **Jimbob86. **Thank you for waiting so long for me to actually get this up! I hope you enjoy, and sorry for making you have to wait.

_For Dani-Chan, as always! _

~***~

Aqua opened one eye as she felt the sunlight suddenly vanish from the surface of her skin. Unconcerned, she looked up into Ven's smiling face. "What's up?"

The blonde Keybearer shrugged. "Master Eraqus wants us to come to him in the gardens."

She had been lounging outside—_resting_, she would tell anyone, which would be the truth—on the stone walls that encircled the exterior of the Castle because Eraqus had seemingly vanished from the face of the earth. Which was not unusual, granted. He'd turn up if he had a lesson for them.

And apparently, two hours behind schedule, he did.

Stretching, Aqua followed Ven as he weaved expertly through the paths that crisscrossed the courtyard.

"A little late," she remarked.

"Yeah, but I'm not complaining, as long as we don't have to train longer!"

Terra was already there, looking bored as usual, nodding at the pair as they joined him. They stood at attention, hands at their sides, eyes raised to meet Eraqus's as he addressed them. The Land of Departure's warm weather was making the trio sleepy, as was usually the case, if they weren't moving.

"You're going back to the Pride Lands today," their graying tutor informed them.

"Really?" Ven blurted out, excited. "Do we get to see Mufasa and Scar again?"

"Actually, you won't," Eraqus told him. In reaction to the youngest apprentice's deflated appearance, he added, "But I'm sure you'll find this mission interesting, regardless. Ventus, Terra…remember Shere Khan?"

"That tiger? How could we forget?" Terra snorted.

"You'll be sent to the Elephant Graveyard today on a similar mission, and I would prefer you do not leave that area. You will all be searching for…" Rummaging inside of his robe, their Master removed a golden, vaguely heart-shaped emblem about half the size of his hand. Aqua recognized it instantly, since a silver copy was on her own outfit, and Terra, along with Ven, had the same insignia elsewhere.

"Search and find _again_?" complained the oldest apprentice with a roll of his dark eyes.

"I'm sure you'll find _this_ one challenging, Terra." Eraqus smiled, and the brown-haired warrior groaned.

Aqua and Ven laughed, and their Master approached them, slipping a bronze colored bracelet over each of their left wrists. "Now, you may go. The item you search for is in the Elephant Graveyard. Do not forget."

"We won't," Aqua assured him. It didn't take long to don their armor and open a portal, leaving the Land of Departure to find their objective.

It couldn't possibly be that bad. They had been to the Pride Lands before, right?

~***~

Aqua didn't understand exactly why, but she must have blacked out upon entering the arid, muggy Graveyard because she woke up on her stomach. Her perspective had changed, this she knew, but her thoughts were scrambling to rearrange themselves into their proper order and that was the least important thing on her mind.

Because something was _staring at her_. Right in the eye. Something with large, shadowy blue pupils.

She retreated instinctively, and she heard the telltale scrape of small claws on gray stone. Aqua froze, feeling the now slightly familiar extension of a tail from her body, but there was something different…she didn't have that powerful feeling that surged through a lion's body…

She tilted her head up and looked at the impossible. Gazing straight back, its mouth open in shock, was a stag. It had dark brown fur and a set of antlers that had an impressive number of tines for its age and size, but it seemed a little unsteady on its feet…

Aqua blinked a grand total of eight times before her mind caught up with the situation. She'd recognize those eyes anywhere. "_Terra_?"

He snorted, dipping his head down to her level. The deer had the same messy hairstyle that Terra always bore, and she was surprised that she hadn't known it was him earlier.

"Of _course_ it's me. I knew it. Whenever Eraqus smiles, we're in trouble." He sighed, and his hot breath ruffled her fur. Aqua turned her head and saw a black body with a long white stripe going down to the end of a thick, bushy tail…

She collapsed back onto the soil, ignoring the tiny rodent skull beside her, and covered her eyes with her paws. "Oh no."

"It's not _that_ bad," Terra reassured her, a smile in his voice. "It's not like skunks are defenseless."

"Easy for you to say." Aqua swiftly ran through all of her knowledge on skunks. She had never been gladder for the hours she had spent in the Castle's library. The main thing she knew about them was that they did _not_ run fast, but they didn't need to. The spray they were infamous for sufficiently protected them from any creature dumb enough to dash into them. They didn't exactly need killer claws or teeth when they had the ability to cause a sensory overload in their foes.

"At least you don't stink," Terra pointed out, shaking his head, still grinning.

"That's a stereotype," she sniffed in response. "Skunks don't stink, themselves." A far more important concept occurred to her at the moment, and she rose onto her hind legs, looking around. She still had her blue hair, amusingly enough. "Where's Ven?"

Terra scoffed and stamped one hoof. "I don't know. I suspect he's landed away from us."

"We have to find him."

"I'm lucky I found _you_. I agree, though." Kneeling down, he positioned himself onto his stomach and stared straight at her. "Skunks don't run fast. Deer do. Get on, we'll find him."

Aqua looked at him doubtfully. "You don't seem very steady on your feet…"

"Want to find Ven or not?" Terra snapped irritably.

Sighing, she scrambled onto his broad shoulders, resting in the dib between the blades. She dug her claws in as far as she dared without penetrating his pelt, bracing herself for a wild ride. Terra tossed his head and bounded off in the running leap of a deer, hooves clacking the stones together with every step.

Aqua glanced down as she caught an amber flash, and she scowled, recognizing Eraqus's bracelet, now an anklet. That would be it then, the "interesting twist" he had told them about. They had to find this heart charm and get out fast, before they encountered a lion or something worse. They weren't in the right forms to fight a cheetah.

It didn't take long for the pair to find Ven. He was bolting straight for them after all, a golden hare with long legs and ears, sky blue eyes almost leaping from their sockets. He was ahead of a trio of slavering hyenas with smoky pelts and dark spots, their gazes riveted on the rabbit.

"Ven!" Aqua shouted in relief, as he took cover behind Terra, trembling.

"_Aqua_?" He gasped, looking strangely amused and annoyed at once.

Terra took a step back as the scavengers slowed to a halt and encircled them the best they could. Aqua didn't recognize them, but she assumed these were the hyenas that Mufasa had spoken of, the ones that lived in the Elephant Graveyard. There were probably more where they had come from.

The lone female in the group tilted her head, her comb of black hair jutting from her skull with all the elegance of a rooster's frill. She had a sarcastic, cunning look to her face, and an eager smile on her lips. "Well! What do we have here, Banzai?" She turned to look at a male hyena a deeper shade of gray than she was.

He grinned at her, baring long fangs. "I don't know, Shenzi. What _do_ we have here?"

"Looks like some new prey. I know there ain't no creatures like _that_ here." She gestured with one paw towards Terra, and his response was a loud snort. "Ed?"

The other hyena with the large, unfocused eyes and lolling tongue just laughed wildly, drool falling in rivulets from his jaws.

"We don't want any trouble," Aqua said sheepishly. "We're just looking for something."

Shenzi looked surprised. "_Really_ now? We're looking for something too! Something to eat! What do you say…?"

"Want to stay for dinner?" Banzai finished, moving a little closer.

"What's on the menu?" Ven asked sheepishly, crouching lower to the ground and scooting nearer to Terra's hooves. Aqua knew she couldn't summon her Keyblade in this state, and she figured Ven and Terra were in the same predicament. It occurred to the female Keybearer, then, that they were all relying on the eldest apprentice to somehow get them out of this situation.

Of course, she could always just spray, but she'd save that until there was no other choice. She honestly didn't know how, and besides, who knew how it might affect her companions if they were caught in the resulting mess?

"Dunno, what are you?" Banzai snickered.

"Hungry," Shenzi snarled, taking a paw-step forward.

"I meant _them_, stupid!"

"Who're you calling stupid?"

Ed laughed for no reason, and Terra turned and leaped clear over his head, kicking out with his back hoof and knocking the hyena silly. Ven pelted after him, keeping up, to Aqua's surprise, with the stag's longer strides.

"Look for any signs of the thing we're supposed to find!" Terra hissed to Aqua as the hyenas gave a collective growl of fury and started to chase them. Their pounding paws terrified the animal part of her mind, and Aqua was surprised by the _fear_ reaction that immediately resulted.

Along with another reaction that she unconsciously suppressed.

Lifting up as high as she dared and peering around as she balanced on Terra's back, she strained her eyes, searching for any glint of gold. But there was nothing, and the hyenas were getting closer, their snarls becoming more and more agitated—and uncomfortably near.

Ven stumbled suddenly, and Aqua instinctively jumped from her perch to kneel by his side. The rabbit shook his head, whirling around and retreating as Shenzi approached.

"Go get that horned thing," she ordered Banzai and Ed. "I can handle these runts!"

Her cohorts hesitated for only a second before splitting around the woodland critters dragged from their natural forest environment. They belonged amongst leafy trees, not the burning sun of an African savannah.

"Hey, er, we can work something out." Ven suggested, his ears flat to his head, one paw rising slowly after the other has he continued to take steps back. Shenzi leered at him, hunching her shoulders. Aqua heard barks and something like braying as the other hyenas apparently battled Terra, keeping the stag away from his friends.

"I've had enough of a work out, thank you," Shenzi replied pleasantly. Aqua curled her claws and lashed out at the scavenger's face, tearing through the fur and leaving three long streaks of blood, not deep, but enough to distract her for a second or two.

The skunk sighed and said to Ven hurriedly, "Go to Terra. _Now_."

Ven didn't argue, he whipped around and raced towards the eldest of the protégés. Aqua finally stopped fighting her current species' natural reaction to danger, arching her tail and spraying Shenzi in the face a heartbeat before teeth met on her skull.

Some of the mist might have even reached down her throat, for all the female Keyblader knew.

Shenzi's face became comically distorted, and she coughed, tongue poking out from between her teeth. "Aw, man! That stuff is foul!" She hacked some more, and unable to stand the stench combined with the burning as it drenched her eyes, the hyena whirled around and charged off in the opposite direction.

Aqua, sitting amongst the empty eyed elephant skulls and the rotting corpses of those not yet truly skeletal, was utterly unaffected. A roar that she recognized reached her ears, and shaking herself back to reality, she ran as fast as her body allowed towards Terra and Ven.

Her concern was unwarranted.

Apparently, having had leaped from the rocks above, a big, dark, black-gray lion with a long mane sprang towards Ed, hitting him so hard that he rolled head over paws for a couple of feet. The moment he could, the scavenger bolted away, whimpering.

Banzai grinned almost apologetically at the massive lion, but Terra lashed out with his antlers, striking him across the chest and ripping open the fur, revealing deep red. Ven chose that moment to get near the hyena, swiping one long leg out and tripping him. He tried to get away, but the lion pounced on him, keeping a large paw on Banzai's spine to prevent escape.

Eraqus, for of course it was he, inquired in a polite tone, "Where is it?"

"W-Where's what?" Banzai stammered, looking terrified. Aqua almost felt sorry for him. The scent of the spray reached them, and she felt strangely self-conscious about it. No one paid it any attention besides a wrinkling of their noses, and the hyena had far larger worries than a bad smell.

"I placed a golden item on a skull, over there." A gray tailed flicked towards the west. "It's not there. Where is it?"

"Er, uh, Shenzi took it. Yeah!" Trying to nod but not quite succeeding since he was flat on his stomach, Banzai just scratched his claws into the rocky soil.

"And where did Shenzi put it?" Eraqus increased the pressure of his paw just a little bit. Aqua noted, somewhat distractedly, that she had used very little of her—let's call it "defense mechanism"—and it was still surprisingly strong.

"In-in the gorge! Yeah! Down in her hidey hole!" Banzai whined again.

"Did she now? Is that the truth? I'd hate to have to travel all this way…" His claws slid out, not puncturing the hyena's hide, but pricking it in warning.

"I swear! I swear! Over there," he strained with one paw towards the east. "There are these craters that explode with, like, green smoke and stuff! Sulfur or something! One doesn't, that's where Shenzi hid it."

"Thank you." Eraqus removed his paw, and Banzai scrambled away without any trace of dignity.

"Master Eraqus," Ven began, but the big lion whirled around and jumped from stone ledge to rocky perch, vanishing over the cliff top without a word.

Aqua walked anxiously over to Terra, whom was bleeding in several places. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," he nodded. "C'mon, we know where the trinket is." He knelt again so she—and this time Ven—could ride on his back. She felt bad, since he was hurt, but she was unable to do any magic in this form. Aqua suspected it was the bracelet that both stopped her arcane talent and gave her such a ridiculous appearance. As Terra ran off in the direction Banzai had said as fast as he dared, Ven snickered.

"You sure know how to stink up a place, Aqua!"

Terra grinned.

The skunk raised her tail threateningly. "It was a defense thing! It got that hyena off of us, didn't it?"

"Coulda did it earlier," grouched the eldest Keyblader.

"You were too close. It almost knocked Shenzi out," Aqua argued. In reality, she had been unsure on how exactly to do it.

The gorge was indeed filled with craters spewing fog, and it only took Ven one quick circuit to find the hole that didn't fire any steam into the air. Aqua looked at the small opening doubtfully, her nose recoiling from the smell it emitted, ironically enough.

"My body's too thick to fit down there," she told Ven as Terra stood guard behind them. The deep, black canyon was lit by a sickly emerald glow, as if from a green fire.

"Not mine! _Finally_, something I can do." The blonde rabbit wriggled down the gap, tail bobbing excitedly with every movement. He vanished briefly, only to return with something bright yellow in his mouth. Aqua knew the hyenas had long enough legs and the right kind of paws to reach into the crater, but Terra couldn't with his hooves, and neither of them had the right kind of size needed for such a thing. Luckily, Ven's hare form did the job.

"Finally," Terra sighed in relief. "Let's get out of here. What else was down in that hole, Ven?"

"Nothing. Some pretty rocks and that was about it." Ven sprang up nimbly onto the stag's back without any help, but Aqua once again had to clamber onto his shoulders.

She didn't like this body.

Her spraying from earlier had chased off any of the other hyenas in the immediate vicinity, and Terra theatrically—or maybe realistically—coughed as they passed near the area she had chased Shenzi off. Returning to their starting point, they found Eraqus waiting for them.

"I was wondering how well you could improvise," the lion informed them as they approached. He ignored Ven's questions, once more taking them to that strange, specific point in the canyon to assume their human forms, as he had done during their first visit to the Pride Lands. Pride Rock was visible on the horizon as a slanted silhouette against the huge, setting sun.

Ven handed over the small charm once they were back to normal. "Master, that was—"

"Suicidal! Deer don't fight hyenas! This was a load of bullsh—"

Aqua heaved a sigh and reminded Terra to watch his language. As the warrior sulked, she asked, "Why, of all things, was I a _skunk_?"

Eraqus chuckled. "Because, Aqua…you come across as harmless when you are most obviously not. Terra, I _know_ it was dangerous…why else do you think I was here?"

Terra didn't reply, just continued to glower, and Ven suddenly broke into a bout of snickering.

"What?" Aqua said, puzzled. "What's so funny?"

Folding his arms behind his head and grinning, the blonde winked. "Nothing, I just thought a little laughter would lighten the mood!"

~***~

_**Yay, for it being 2:35 AM. **_

_**Anyway, a very special thank you to everyone that has reviewed/story alerted/favorited so far! You guys are fantastic. I decided to take them to the Pride Lands again because it seemed like a good place to make them improvise with their animal forms, and because I realized I hadn't written the hyenas yet.**_

_**We have cleared the two hundred reviews mark! Thanks for sticking with me, and also, thanks to Temari-Desert-Storm for being the two hundredth reviewer!**_

_**Thanks for reading, why not drop another review?**_


	15. Balance

_~*.*Disciples of the Keyblade*.*~_

**Title:**_ Balance_

**Rating: **K+

**Warnings: **Another half-formed swear word, or two.

**Characters:** Aqua, Terra, Ventus, Master Eraqus

**Summary:** If balance was so important, why did one need the motivation of a poisonous insect? Pre-BBS.

**Special Notes:** Okay, here's a quick chapter for you all! This was a request from my little sister who goes by the name **Emerald** online. She said to do something "funny with balancing".

_For Dani-Chan, as always!_

~***~

Ventus raised his eyebrows in a rather disbelieving fashion, hands on his hips, sunlight warming his skin. Master Eraqus could _not_ be serious.

"We're practicing…_balancing_?" Terra snorted skeptically.

Aqua, on the other hand, looked thoughtful. "Well, it's not like balancing isn't useful. Poise and stability is very important when fighting, after all, isn't it?"

"It's an important aspect in general," agreed Eraqus with a pleased smile in the magic-caster's direction. Terra scowled.

Pretending to ignore the concerned looks from his friends, Ventus nodded. "Let's get right to it, then. Where're we training, Master?"

Ven had only recently recovered from his shocking fainting spell a few weeks before. Aqua and Terra had been so concerned for him that they spent every free moment that they could with the blonde apprentice, and even though they barely knew him, they spoke to him whilst he was unconscious. Their anxious murmurs had been enough to call him from whatever senseless abyss he had drifted off into, and now he was actually _officially_ beginning his training.

They told him his eyes had once been a black-blue void. Now they were as bright as the summery sky overhead, and the boy found it easy to move on since he had no memories from his past to cling to.

"You all right?" Aqua worriedly poked his shoulder as Eraqus set off down the winding garden paths, heading down towards the hiking trails.

Shaking himself, Ven nodded. Apprehension fluttered down into his heart, delicate as a butterfly, and roosted there. _I hope I can do this._ "Sure, sure."

Terra shrugged his broad shoulders, motioning for the others to follow him. Ven couldn't resist staring around at the Land of Departure, marveling at the constant, warm beauty of it all. Eraqus's home-world was definitely a place worth fighting for, a place worth living in.

Asking questions was never a problem with Ventus, and he folded a hand over his heart. He felt strangely light, like something had been missing and it had been replaced with some foreign substance not quite heavy enough. "Hey, Aqua?"

She was walking beside him, probably worried that he'd keel over at any second. Terra kept glancing behind him when he thought Ven wasn't looking. "Yes?"

"Are there any more Keybearers?"

Aqua's expression turned pensive, but it was Terra whom answered. "Yeah, there are. There's not a lot, but there's at least one or two more."

"Why're there so few?"

"Dunno," Terra responded.

Clearing her throat, Aqua politely supplied the answer. "There was a huge war, Ven, quite a while ago."

"Ages and ages?"

"Ages and ages. Most Keyblade Wielders died in that battle, fighting over some magnificent power. The Keyblade hasn't Chosen anyone since, and only those that survived managed to pass on their gift."

"So...at one point, the Keyblade just appeared to someone without the ceremony?"

"That's right, or so legend says. I haven't studied into it. The history books for the Keyblade War are hard to find."

Ven hummed, letting himself sink into his thoughts as his feet instinctively trailed after Terra. He had a Keyblade, as Eraqus and the others had found out he could still summon a few days after he woke up. Who had given it to him? Or, had the Keyblade itself simply appeared to him and bestowed the Awakening upon him?

Eraqus led them down the side of one of the sloping mountain paths and when the road smoothed out to some degree, he raised one scarred hand for them to halt. He faced his beloved apprentices, his kind gaze resting upon each of them in turn. He folded his hands behind his back and began his lesson.

"Balance is a key addition to any Keybearer's arsenal. Without balance, one will topple over at the slightest disturbance. Being able to collect yourself and stabilize your body in any and all conditions is important, whether you be in the air, on the ground, or swimming in the waves. Is that understood?"

"Yes, Master," chirped the disciples, with Ven being just a bit behind. He was standing between Terra and Aqua, stiff and straight as was the respectful thing to do. A memory fluttered on the edges of his mind, but the blonde strove to ignore it.

"Good. This exercise is very simple. Terra, will you come here, please?"

Terra groaned, because Eraqus was _smiling_. The elder protégé had a joke, that if the Master was smiling, he had something peculiar planned for the day. Regardless, he stepped forward and bowed low from the waist.

Gesturing to the mountain ledge behind him, Eraqus nodded once. "Stand here."

Hopping up onto the thin ridge that was just barely wide enough for him to rest on, the brown-haired warrior fought back a grimace. He was forced to stretch his arms out to keep himself level and even. On the other side, Ven saw, if he raised himself on the tips of his toes, a hill that sloped sharply downward with a small azure pond at the bottom. It was covered with various scree and tiny shattered rock fragments that promised plenty of scrapes for any unfortunate Keybearer that toppled down. At the same time, there was nothing there that would cause a serious injury, and it wasn't long or harsh enough to induce broken bones.

It was just the right size to guarantee an unpleasant trip, but that was all.

"Now, Terra, Aqua, and Ven. I want you all to stay here for as long as you can. If one of you falls, you must return to the top and simply wait for the others to do the same. Easy enough, correct?" Eraqus raised his eyebrows, waiting for a reply.

"Yes, Master," chorused the trio. Aqua and Ven joined Terra on the precarious shelf, and the youngest and newest apprentice couldn't help but wonder about the odd shapes of the mountains here.

_It's almost like they were specifically made just to train us Keybearers. There isn't a place here that doesn't hold some kind of educational value!_

Eraqus studied their poses for a minute, and after adjusting one of Ven's arms so it was slightly lower, he nodded his satisfaction. "Return to the Castle after all three of you has finished. If you're all back before in three minutes, I'm going to assume you purposely failed the lesson, and we'll do this every day before dawn, no matter what the weather."

Terra, Aqua, and Ven gulped and dipped their heads in response, afraid to nod in case the motion upset their balance.

The sun's angle brought a splash of sunlight down on Aqua's silver shoulder-guards, or, he guessed, really her arm-guards. Only he and Terra actually had armor on their shoulders. The resulting gleam of light made his eyes hurt, and he averted his gaze from her, instead staring up at the cloudless sky above.

"This is cruel and unusual punishment," Terra complained after a stretch of time had passed without incident. Ven half-wished someone would fall just so something interesting would happen, but he wouldn't do it himself. He was determined to weather out this lesson, to prove that he didn't need to be treated any differently than the others.

Because, some part of him disagreed with the idea that he was inexperienced. His heart said he had had training from somewhere before.

"It's not cruel, but certainly unusual. It's also building endurance, I suppose." Aqua mused, letting her arms fall to her side. Ven realized she had planted her feet firmly, and thus was in no danger of falling.

Ven blinked as a sudden cool breeze shot from behind him and almost made him fall. He flailed his arms to alter his balance, gasping in shock. Aqua and Terra hurriedly adjusted their stability, and the blue-haired Keybearer scowled, turning her head to look at the blonde.

At first, he thought she was mad at him, but that wasn't the case. "Ven, did you feel that?"

"How did we _not_?" Terra scoffed.

"No, did you _feel_ that?" Aqua insisted.

Tilting his head, Ven queried, "What, besides the wind?"

"That wasn't a normal wind. I sensed magic, sort of like an Aero…"

"Huh, really? I didn't."

Terra shrugged. "I thought I picked something up, but it's hard to tell."

Aqua suddenly stiffened in horror. "Oh my God, Terra, don't move."

Ven's eyes widened as he beheld what was innocently perching on Terra's head. It was a small iridescent green bug, sort of like a dragonfly, but fatter. It fluttered its translucent veined wings and buzzed loudly. It sounded loud in the abrupt silence.

"What is it?" Terra's voice was strained as he held himself still.

"I think it's a…Ven, have you heard of Viridian Stingers?" Aqua asked quietly.

The name rang a faint bell in the farthest corners of his dark memories. "Uh, kinda. Are they…they're poisonous, right?"

"Extremely. They're not fatal, but if Terra gets stung by the one on his head, it'll probably paralyze him for a day or so."

"Ouch. Okay, it'll have to leave eventually." Ven said with a shrug, trying to hide his amusement from the petrified warrior in front of Aqua.

Terra growled, "Shi—"

"Keep your mouth shut if you're just going to swear. Calm down. It's not that bad," Aqua soothed him.

"Easy for you to say! You don't have a fu—freaking poisonous bug on your head!" Terra hissed at her without even looking.

Ven hesitantly stepped off of the mountain ledge, ignoring Aqua's surprised murmur, and he bent down to pick up a stick. The blonde's mind was working swiftly, and he inched towards Terra, gently laying the tip of the branch next to the Viridian Stinger. It buzzed lazily for a few seconds before shuffling onto the edge. Slowly, and very carefully, he moved backwards and turned, placing the branch a safe distance from any of the disciples, on the far side of the mountain path. He placed his hands in the air as if showing he wasn't wielding a weapon, edging away from the venomous insect.

Only after there was a decent distance between himself and the bug did Ven hop back onto the rocky cliff-edge, smiling from ear to ear.

"Thank God," Terra breathed, flashing a relieved grin towards Ven. "You just saved me from a potentially dangerous situation."

"You weren't in any fatal danger," Aqua disagreed, but all the same she laughed and beamed at Ventus.

Ventus folded his arms behind his head and let them rest there, completely satisfied. "Hey, it was noth—"

The magical wind blew again, and this time he detected the arcane pulse underneath it. With a startled yelp of surprise, he lost his balance and dropped out into empty air. He shut his eyes tight, preparing to adjust his body into a roll to reduce the pain, waiting for the heartbeat it would take for him to hit the ground and begin a painful descent.

He didn't plummet.

Shocked, he opened his eyes and saw Terra had lunged forward and caught him, and Aqua had her hands on his chest, digging her metal shoes into the ground to stop all of them from falling. He saw the muscles standing out in both of their arms.

"Does that count as failing the lesson?" Ven joked weakly as he scrambled against the cliff-side hauling himself up safely. Aqua and Terra pivoted on the outcrop to face him.

"Well…" Aqua shrugged. "You can try to stand here again and hope the Master didn't see…"

"Eraqus sees _everything_," Terra huffed. "He'll give Ven some long spiel about not getting over confident with victory, so as to not fall off of ridges."

Ven grimaced, but decided that that was okay. Look, he had already learned something in only a few hours! He lay back in the grass then, laughing.

"What's so funny?" Aqua asked, honestly curious.

"Well, even if I fell first, you two will have to sit here until you _both_ fall. How long will that take?"

Aqua and Terra exchanged stunned expressions, and then Terra peered over the ledge.

"I wonder if I've been standing here long enough to pass," the brown-haired warrior remarked.

"If the Master sees everything, he'll see you purposely fall," Aqua warned.

"Is the leap worth the drop?" Ven mused aloud.

"Probably not. Would you catch me, Aqua?" Terra teased.

"Tch, no." Her expression became mockingly horrified.

"What if I grabbed you as I fell?"

"Well, I'd have to throw you in the water and freeze the pond over your head."

"You're assuming you could even pick me up."

And thus the Keybearers passed the time, and as Ven listened and added a comment now and then that never failed to get his friends to chuckle, he thought this was one lesson he didn't mind having had messed up.

After a few minutes of banter, he rejoined them on the cliff, though of course Ventus didn't have to.

~***~

_**This is a very far back one-shot in my little "timeline", amongst the first, if not **_**the**_** first.**_

_**I know I owe people requests, but I didn't have time to write something long today, and I was glad for my little sister's idea. It was fun and short to write, and it gave you guys an update.**_

**_A running gag of mine is Terra's half-formed swear words, but since it's pretty OOC, I plan on cutting back on it from now on._**

_**Reviews are welcome, and thanks to everyone that has so far.**_


	16. Hunted

_~*.*Disciples of the Keyblade*.*~_

**Title:**_ Hunted_

**Rating: **T to be safe

**Warnings: **Violence, half-formed swear words, blood

**Characters:** Terra, Aqua, Ventus, Master Eraqus, Bambi, Thumper, Flower, various hunters and animals

**Summary:** The animals understood why Man hunted them—but when the delicate balance begins to tip in the wrong direction, Terra and the others are sent to investigate.

**Special Notes:** My Exams were in progress before, so sorry about the wait. This was an idea from **JimBob86**, and it was such a great one that I decided to write it up. As for everyone else, I know about your requests and I'll get to it when I can!

_For Dani-Chan, as always!_

* * *

"I'm sending you to a world known as the Tranquil Forest."

Terra and the rest of the apprentices dipped their heads in response to Eraqus's words.

"Why, Master?" Ven, of course.

Eraqus sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose, closing his eyes. "The hunters there are viciously killing the creatures that live in the woods. Some of them don't even pick up the bodies."

Terra bit back a comment. Normally, he'd not care about the animals there, but he had been a lion before and now understood that every living being had thoughts and feelings—though not all of them could be understood as a human.

"That's horrible," Aqua murmured.

"I want you to find out the cause of this disturbance," their mentor continued without looking at his students. "Aqua, Ventus, go pack everything you think you will need. This will not be an easy mission, and we'll make it part of your training. A test, if you will."

Aqua nodded and gestured to the blonde to follow her, leaving the large Training Chamber that existed on the second level of the entry hallway. Terra made to go after her, but Eraqus intercepted him, stepping in his way.

They waited until their footsteps faded from hearing. Only then did his Master open his eyes and gaze steadily at Terra.

The earth-named warrior blinked once. "Is something the matter?"

Eraqus took in a deep breath and sighed. "Terra. I'm trusting you to watch over and protect Aqua and Ventus. This is not a game, and this is more than a lesson. This is a true mission befitting a Keyblade Master. I can think of nothing better to test your competence than to send you to the Tranquil Forest and save _lives_. Do you hear me?"

Understanding flowed through the eldest apprentice as he realized the huge amount of faith his Master had in him. He bowed low from the waist, narrowing his eyes as he began thinking of ways to gather the information they would need once they arrived. "I won't let you down."

Smiling, Eraqus clapped one hand to his unarmored shoulder. "I know you won't, my son."

A helpless, warm feeling pressed down on Terra's heart, and he sighed, grinning back. He loved Eraqus, to be perfectly honest. He was basically his father, not just his father _figure_. Ever since he had been young, the Keyblade Master of The Land of Departure had always been there.

He did not intend to break his faith in him. Terra swore that he would not fail this mission.

"Then go, and remember, Terra, that the Light is always with you."

Terra turned and walked down the steps, heading for the castle's courtyard. Aqua and Ventus were already there, and they deigned not to ask why Eraqus had held him back. Ven passed the eldest apprentice a loaded satchel, and he took it wordlessly.

They smacked their armor pieces, and once the dazzling flash of light had faded, turned to each other.

Keyblade already in hand, Terra said calmly, "I'm in charge."

No one argued, not even Aqua, feeling the weight of their mission on their young shoulders.

Three Keyblade Riders streaked away.

The Tranquil Forest was a gorgeous world filled with tall trees in full bloom. It was likely summer, dotted all over with open-faced flowers and gurgling streams and rivers. The place would have fit in any fairy tale, and on normal standards, Terra would have found it peaceful.

Except for one thing. It was the original home of animal forms they had used before.

Ven groaned and sank to the ground, clamping his skinny paws over his face. "I'm a rabbit again!"

"Hare," Aqua corrected, swishing her striped tail. "Hares have longer legs."

_At least I'm a stag,_ Terra mused, shifting his hooves against the woodland floor. This body was better suited to such an environment anyway, he reasoned. "Enough complaining, let's find what's causing the trouble."

Bending low so that skunk-Aqua could clamber onto his back—her weight wasn't much of a burden—Terra turned and gestured with his antlers for Ven to follow as fast as he was able. The golden rabbit, at least that's how Terra still saw him, waggled his elongated ears and sprang after him as the deer picked his way swiftly through the dense undergrowth.

There was something in the air that made his skin crawl underneath his fur. Terra wondered if animals had a sixth sense. His hooves tore into grass and shrubs, flattening a path for Ventus, who bounded at his side, out of reach of his long legs.

"So, what's the plan?" Ven asked, leaping nimbly over a patch of brambles.

Terra shrugged his broad shoulders. "This is a forest, and since we're in animal forms, I assume there are animals."

"Naturally," Aqua said in agreement.

"Therefore…we need to find the animals. Eraqus told us that hunters are viciously killing the fauna…right?"

"Yeah! So we're looking for some creatures to talk to and get some information before we kick some bu—whoa!" Ven tripped over a stay stone, tumbling down a narrow slope that descended into a surprisingly deep valley that Terra had just jumped. Pausing, the stag snorted and paced to the edge of the skinny ravine.

"Are you okay?" He called down, lowering his antlered head. Aqua peered curiously over his shoulder, nose twitching. There was a wet splash as Ven floundered in a tiny rivulet of water, then he hauled himself to his paws, shaking his golden fur loose.

"I'm fine!" He replied loudly, flicking droplets from his whiskers. He sniffed and rose on his hind legs. "Terra, Aqua?"

"Yeah, Ven?" Aqua asked, her tone still anxious. Knowing her, she'd be apprehensive until the hare was back beside them.

Ventus looked troubled. He pressed his muzzle back into the forest floor. "I don't think this is an animal scent."

"What do you mean?" Terra pricked his ears, interested. The dip in the earth was too scrawny for a deer to fit down comfortably, and therefore he'd have to rely on his friend's words for clues.

"It smells…weird. Like, sharp and sort of unnatural. My animal instincts just sort of recoil from it, if that makes any sense." Looking sheepish, Ven flattened himself to the ground.

"Go check it out, Aqua." The eldest apprentice ordered, gesturing towards the ravine.

Dropping unceremoniously from his back, the skunk swished her tail oh-so elegantly. "It could just be a predator to your species, if you 'recoil' from it, Ven."

The rabbit grumbled irritably. "No, it doesn't have a…just get down here!"

Aqua wouldn't be rushed, though. With her stockier frame, she had to be a little more precise with her movements unless she wanted to be damp all over like the youngest pupil's tawny pelt. After a few heartbeats, though, she was at the hare's side and curiously snuffling the alleged scent trail.

"He's right, Terra. It's not an animal or human scent," she declared.

_We've actually got a lead,_ Terra thought, surprised for some odd reason. "Well, where's it go?" For once, his size was a disadvantage.

Ven cast about, nose twitching excitedly. His sky-blue eyes suddenly blazed with energy. "This way!" He bolted off, clawing his way out of the narrow gap and vanishing with a stunning swiftness into the undergrowth. Aqua sighed in exasperation and Terra chuckled with amusement, meeting her as she hauled herself out of the dip.

"_Why_ did I have to be a _skunk_?" She complained after she had settled down on his back. The stag went after Ventus as fast as he could, determined not to lose his friend in the Tranquil Forest.

"Hey, you'll complain now, but when we encounter something dangerous, I'll be happy to have you. It's not like you're a burden," he remarked in an attempt to soothe her wounded pride.

"Hmph," was her only reply.

Terra's long stride made it possible to quickly catch up with the bounding Ven, but he hadn't meant to almost stampede the scrawny hare over. He floundered for a second, endeavoring not to trample him, and barked in irritation, "Why did you stop so _suddenly_? I almost ran…you…over…"

His loss for words was attributed to a simple matter. Or maybe…not so simple.

Before them, surrounded by torn and flattened flora, was a corpse. It was some kind of animal, mangled so brutally and so riddled with holes that it was entirely unrecognizable. The wind had blown the scent from him at first, but now Terra could smell the heavy reek of death and blood. He shook his head in denial of the battered cadaver, his breaths coming faster and faster in reaction to his utter revulsion.

Aqua made a squeaking sound low in her throat, and he heard her muttering a stream of unfamiliar words to herself, almost as if in prayer. Ven, meanwhile, was just gazing silently at the lacerated clump of flesh and fur, and as Terra watched, a tremble ran through his body.

_Okay, enough of this._

Kneeling down so that he was at the rabbit's level, he nudged Ven behind him. "Take a few moments, recollect yourself. I'm going to have a look around."

Terra felt Aqua slide off of his back soundlessly and crouch near Ven, leaning against him for comfort.

The eldest apprentice decided to have a good look at the "crime scene". Swallowing his disgust, the stag prowled around the edges of the mess, searching for any scent trails or signs of what had possibly done such a horrible thing. Terra wondered how they should confront whatever it was that was tearing apart the wildlife, and he griped privately to himself that they had to be _animals_ to handle this situation.

_I'd kill to be human again,_ he mused. And that, unfortunately, was the truth.

After a while, it became clear that whatever it was that had murdered the poor beast was long gone, and the alien scent trail vanished once it reached the kill. Terra was becoming just a _little_ concerned by his friends' wordless silence, and he turned to them, bending his head so that his eyes were at their level.

"Guys, it's okay," he said in a reassuring tone. "At least we have a clue. The monster was _here_, and we know what it's capable of. Let's find some animals and see—"

"How can you be so _calm_?" Aqua sounded as if she was going to be sick. She folded her black paws over her muzzle, flattening her bushy tail to her back.

Ven's ears had collapsed, making him appear very small indeed. His eyes were wide open, staring, but not truly seeing. He was whimpering, and Terra realized with a jolt that he was still looking at the carnage.

The deer stepped into his line of sight, scowling fiercely, though his displeasure was directed towards the shadowy killer and not his frightened and quite possibly traumatized comrade. True, Terra himself was shaken, but he'd not show anyone the depth of his fear. Not now, not ever.

"I'm being calm so we don't break down into hysterics," the brown-haired warrior noted evenly. "So if you both please…come on, this way. Aqua, Ven, both of you get on my back."

The female Keybearer shifted so that she was resting on her haunches, but she didn't move otherwise. Her azure gaze was focused on the sky, her short claws digging into the grass with an increasing level of agitation. Ven didn't even twitch.

Rearing up on his hind legs, Terra slammed down an inch in front of their collective noses, crushing dirt and grass under-hoof. "That's an order! I'm the leader of this mission, remember?" His tone brooked no argument, and his shadow-cobalt eyes burrowed into theirs until they both finally approached him.

Kneeling again so they could get on his back, the earth-named male stated in a gentler voice, "Are you guys going to be okay?"

Aqua shook herself until her fur fluffed out to twice its height. "I'm fine, Terra. You're right." She sounded as if she had recovered from her shock. "Let's go."

"Ven?"

The young blonde rubbed at his muzzle, frowning intensely, whiskers drooping. "We need to find what's killing these creatures!"

Terra didn't need any more comments. He briefly wondered which way to go, and after a few heartbeats, he whipped to his right and charged through the Tranquil Forest, not sure where he was going, but at least he had an objective in mind.

* * *

The sun had moved to an overhead position, which meant it was now noon, most likely mid-noon. The golden rays created a dusty canopy of light, dappling the woodland and its various plants. Still, there was no sign of any animals.

It was starting to concern him, since Terra thought it was a rather prosperous little place, minus the vicious killings. As they traveled—the stag only a little burdened by the weight on his shoulders—they encountered two more mangled corpses that prompted them to give the area a wide berth.

No sane beast would be by a murder zone.

"The carrion-feeders don't even touch the bodies," Aqua whispered near his ear. They had spoken little, and when they had, it was always in quiet whispers.

Ven was peering back the way they had just came, long ears rotating on his skull. "Well, Aqua, I guess they're afraid of being picked off by the monster."

Terra paused with one leg still lifted, listening intensely. "Shh."

"But what—"

"Shh!" The Keybearer strained his senses. He was certain he had just seen a brown shape, and it hadn't been a tree trunk or a bare patch of earth.

There! There it was again!

"Who's there?" Terra called, eyes narrowing. "I know you're here. Show yourself!"

At first nothing happened. Then a few low-hanging branches trembled and a young deer, smaller than Terra himself, walked tentatively forward. Flanked on both sides of him were a skunk and a gray-and-white rabbit, and the semblance to their own trio was so extraordinary that it gave Eraqus's pupil cause for pause.

"Wh-Who are you?" questioned the deer. His liquid brown eyes were wide with apprehension. "I've never seen you before."

"My name is Terra. This is Aqua, and Ven." Taking a step towards him, Terra asked, "Who are you?"

He looked over both shoulders, as if checking for eavesdroppers. "I'm Bambi, and she's Flower," he gestured to the skunk.

"And they call me Thumper!" The rabbit exclaimed, banging his wide feet against the floor. He quailed, flattening himself to the ground as Flower hissed a hurried "Shh!"

"The birds don't even sing," Aqua fretted, rubbing her paws together. "What's going on? What's killing the animals here?"

Bambi was about to reply, but Thumper beat him to it. "It's the hunters! They don't stop hunting; they just keep on going and going and going!"

"Usually," Flower commented, blinking her dark eyes. "They stop in certain seasons. Not this time, and they're hunting us harder than they ever have before."

"It's because of that new dog," Bambi shivered. "It's been driving them crazy!" His high voice went even shriller with fright.

"New dog? What's it look like?" Ven piped up.

"Oh, it's worse than any other!" The young deer sighed. "It's big and black and it has these awful red eyes."

"And it changes _size!_ Skinny enough to slide between trees…" Thumper's pelt was ruffled, clearing displaying his agitation.

"And large enough to corner a full grown deer," Flower finished.

Bambi stamped his feet. "Why, it even almost caught my father!"

"Your father?" Terra echoed.

"The Great Prince of the Forest! But of course, he escaped. My mom didn't, though." Bambi's head went so low that it dipped between his long legs.

"I'm sorry," Aqua said. There was a respectful pause before she asked, "Where's the dog now?"

"No one knows," Thumper cried, throwing his paws up into the air. "It's safer to move than to keep a permanent den."

"So many animals are afraid to go _anywhere_ though," Flower lamented.

The depth of their sorrow was oddly humbling. Terra berated himself for it, as if it was his fault somehow.

Ven exclaimed, "We need to hunt down the hunters then!"

"The hound, you mean. The black one," Aqua corrected.

"With the dreadful red eyes," Thumper added helpfully.

"Are the hunters from anywhere in particular? Can you show us?" Terra asked.

Bambi exchanged uneasy looks with Flower and the gray rabbit. "Well," began the deer slowly. "We're…"

"You don't have to _show_ us, if you know where they come _from_," the female Keybearer soothed. Her calm, placating voice seemed to reassure the woodlanders.

"They come from the south," Flower twirled a white daisy between her nimble paws, her dark eyes fixed shyly on it. "I think."

"That sounds right," Thumper agreed. "They come out about six times a—"

A horn blasted through the air, startlingly close by. The effect was immediate. Bambi bent his head, grabbed Flower by her scruff, and bolted off in the opposite direction, his shout muffled by the fur in his mouth. "Run! They're here!"

Terra faced the sound, shaking his antlers. "Ven, go with them."

"No way!" The hare scrambled on top of a tall fallen tree, digging his claws into its rotting bark. "I'm staying here with you and Aqua!"

"This isn't a game," the skunk pleaded.

Ven glared down at her, hackles raised. "Neither were a lot of places!"

The horn again, closer.

"Fine, but stay behind me." The stag began inching forward, placing his hooves down carefully, endeavoring not to crack a single twig. His sharp senses picked up the clattering of horses' feet and the baying of dogs. And something else that created a faint _hiss_ with every movement it made.

_That must be the monster hound._

Whoops were heard from the riding hunters as they approached, but the canines arrived first. Terra had never seen animals that appeared so _wild_ before. The dogs would be relatively tame, one would think, but these were vicious. The scrawny gray beasts were salivating constantly, eyes narrowed, their lupine faces alight with an unnatural cruelty.

_It's like rabies. But worse._

The eldest apprentice realized he finally had an advantage. Even if they had their Keyblades, the trees were too thick to properly utilize them. Aqua's magic might have set the entire place burning if a single Fire spell went off-course. Terra whirled, kicking his back legs out and knocking a dog into one of the trees with a satisfying _crash!_

Aqua grabbed Ven and forced him inside the tree trunk, bundling the hare safely behind the hanging moss vines. She followed soon after, and the mere fact that she was a _skunk_ would probably protect her from the canines. Even a blood-crazed animal wouldn't willingly put its face so close to a skunk.

Terra grunted as sharp teeth sank into his right front leg. He dipped his head and caught the dog with his antlers, lifting it and bodily tossing the whining creature over his shoulders. It crashed into the undergrowth and he heard its paws scrabbling against the floor as it fled.

_The hunters are almost here! Where's that God dam—_

There it was! Shadow stirred on the edges of his vision, and the stag wheeled around, lifting his hooves and bringing them banging down on the spine of a dog. He realized with a jolt that he probably killed it, but that didn't matter.

Red eyes peered at him from the edges of the sunlight. It blinked, and vanished from sight.

_Bang!_

A bullet whizzed by and slammed with unrelenting force into a tree. A miniature explosion of bark shot through the air, and a scrap of it tore the flesh from Terra's cheek even with the added protection of his fur. Startled, he ducked low and hoped his friends could find him, for he wasn't eager to fight humans with guns.

_Guns,_ he thought moodily as he fled, feet pounding, taking a variety of routes that animals probably wouldn't think of. _Blasted things. _

Three times the bullets almost got him; in fact, one grazed the stag's shoulder and left a stinging gash. The hunters were creating a strange howling sound all the while. They didn't sound human.

_Whatever that creature was that disappeared back in the woods—_Terra cleared a log, landing hard and bounding away with the peculiar hopping stride of a deer—_it must be affecting their judgment._

At last the sounds of pursuit faded. Kneeling by a stream, the stag glanced around. "I wonder if they'll be able to find me…" He decided to go back and check on them if they didn't show up soon. The sun was beginning to set. It wasn't often that they spent a night in a strange world.

Terra made a face, licking his stinging cuts since it seemed appropriate, given his current shape. He had read somewhere the animals had healing…stuff…actually _in_ their saliva. He was cautious, concerning the brook that bubbled between two old beech trees, since there was a chance that one of the dead bodies could be in the water upstream. The whole tributary could be contaminated with disease for all he knew.

After what the Keybearer judged to be a half hour, he stood and prepared to make his way back to where he had last seen Aqua and Ven when he heard something.

Hooves.

He tensed, circling around, blue eyes narrowed.

"Don't attack," a familiar voice entreated.

Blinking, the apprentice leaned towards the sound. "Bambi?"

The young deer paced slowly forward, and on his back was Flower and Aqua. On either side of him hopped Ven and Thumper. There was a bleeding scratch on the golden hare's side.

"Ven!" Terra crossed the distance between them in a single stride. He studied the gash, and he realized with a surge of relief that it was long but very shallow. Blood barely leaked from the wound. "What happened?"

"When you ran off, we waited until Aqua decided we could leave. Well…" Ventus flattened his ears to his head, and they practically covered him. "I managed to pull us both through a rose bush, and the dogs didn't follow."

The cut was caused by a thorn. No big deal then, Terra mused.

"We found Bambi earlier on, with Thumper and Flower." Aqua added. She glanced down at Ven. "And he won't let me heal his injury."

"It's nothing." The hare brushed it off.

"It is," Terra snapped. "Your blood will make it easier to track us."

Bambi, Flower, and Thumper watched wide-eyed as Aqua slithered off of the young deer's back and laid a paw on her friend's side. A pulse of green healing energy eradicated the scrape.

"You guys are going to do something about the hound, right?" Thumper inquired, speaking in a low voice as if they could attract the wrong kind of attention with a handful of words.

"We intend to," the stag growled, shaking his antlered head in his agitation. He hated feeling helpless. Right now, he guessed their aim was to track down the monster dog. And destroy it.

"We'll help," Flower said sweetly, as if it was something normal.

"You don't—" Aqua began, but Bambi interrupted her.

"I'm going to be the Great Prince of the Forest one day," he flicked his short tail. "My father is keeping everyone he can safe, but even _he_ can't watch a whole forest! I need to help everyone too."

"_We_ need to help everyone," Thumper remarked as loudly as he dared.

Terra gazed into Bambi's eyes and was surprised by the courage and determination he found there. If the young deer were human, he could probably wield a Keyblade. "Okay," he grudgingly agreed. "We could use some help."

Thumper's ears abruptly sprang up, with Ven's following a short second later.

"What is it?" Aqua shuffled forward, her own ears pricked for danger.

"The hound!" Thumper cried, backpedaling, his big feet churning the dirt and leaves underneath him. Ven arched his back, catlike, staring off into the woods.

"There!"

Terra and everyone else turned as one to see a shadowy shape prowling towards them. Scarlet eyes flicked open. With a war-cry, the stag charged towards it. He was surprised to see it retreat from him, and when his antlers collided with its skin, he felt as if he had sank his head into ice water.

The _hiss_ of its movements retreated, and before anyone could stop them, Thumper and Ven raced past and chased after the fleeing dark hound.

"No!" Terra shouted, frustrated to see the pair of rabbits disappearing into the forest. It was becoming thicker the deeper they went in, and by the time he actually maneuvered his larger self through one area, they'd be in the next.

_Didn't they say the dog can change shape?_

It certainly seemed that way, blinking out of sight as it was. Maybe it was fleeing towards it den.

Aqua and Flower were beside themselves with worry, but the stag told himself that they'd be back.

_I hope._

"I'll follow them!" Bambi bounded off, and Terra let the smaller deer pass by unchallenged. Instead, he circled the length of the clearing and waited for his companions to return; thinking to himself all the while that size was both good and bad.

_**

* * *

**_

Being split in half again, since I'm about to POV change and we're only halfway done. Apologies in advance, I saw Bambi once many years ago, and I'm certain I screwed these characters up.

_**Sorry for taking so long, lots of requests and real-life stuff. State testing and now Exams are coming up. But reviews are always welcome, and I thank everyone that already has! **_

**_Oh yeah, FF is screwing with my page-breakers, darn them. XD_**


	17. Planning

_~*.*Disciples of the Keyblade*.*~_

**Title:**_ Planning_

**Rating: **T to be safe

**Warnings: **Violence

**Characters:** Ventus, Aqua, Terra, Master Eraqus, Bambi, Thumper, Flower, various hunters and animals

**Summary:** The animals understood why Man hunted them—but when the delicate balance begins to tip in the wrong direction, Terra and the others are sent to investigate.

**Special Notes: **Quite honestly, I have an excuse for the lateness of this update. Not only do I have State Testing, I have separate Finals to take. But here it is, the finale to **JimBob86's **idea. Hope you enjoy!

_I recommend you check out these three stories:_

**Sunsets and Ice Cream** by UnVeRsEd if you like RoxasxXion…

**The Diary of Naminé **by Kiome-Yasha if you like SoraxNaminéxRoxas…

And **Rogue of the Fallen** by CrimsonDarkness 0013 if you like in-universe!

_For Dani-Chan, as always!_

* * *

"No!" Terra cried from behind him. Frustration laced his tone and Ventus heard the heavy thump of his great hooves against the forest floor.

_Sorry, _Ven thought privately as he hared along, paws slamming down hard, lengthening his stride as far as it would go. Thumper scrambled after him, his stockier frame slightly hindering his progress.

The monster dog slithered ahead of the pair, pressing itself flat to the ground, practically gliding along on its twisted, malformed paws. It became scrawnier, skinnier, slipping between a fallen trunk and the earth. Ven sprang clear over the tree, whilst Thumper hauled himself out from underneath it.

The blue-eyed apprentice never moved his gaze from the shadow. He _had_ to see where it came from, that was the whole reason he was following the beast. In his mind, he still saw the horribly mutilated corpse in the woods—so shredded that it was unrecognizable as any living thing. He had been a lion before, the top of the food chain, and now he was a hare, near the bottom…

_All life is important. And this _thing_…just…destroys it! But _why? _Everything has a reason…_

Red orbs glanced back at him before turning forward once more.

_And I'm going to find out!_

Ven skidded down a slope, shaking his fur and scowling, ears trembling. Thumper prodded his back with his nose. "We've got to keep going!"

The hare drew himself up on his hind legs. "No, wait! Look!"

The dog had charged down a mossy incline, nails shredding the delicate green plants underpaw, heading towards a jagged hill of stones and gray rocks, uneven and seeming as if it would topple down at any moment. The creature then dipped its constantly twitching, even _morphing_ head and vanished inside.

"Shh," Thumper brought a "finger" to his mouth, pressing close to the gritty grass and inching forward. Ven followed, heart rattling within his ribcage, curious to see the monster's lair. It was slow going, but at last they stood outside the entrance of a well hidden cave. The golden hare poked his head in cautiously, sniffing, almost gagging at the scent of rotting flesh.

Torn animal bodies littered the cavern like scattered popcorn, some crushed, and others picked clean, incomparable to any living fauna in the forest. The ceiling was low at first, then swept high, almost half the height of the rugged, mountainous hill. And on the other side of the room…

Something oval. And hissing. And blackish-blue. Waves of icy wind washed out from it, and dark, spiny tendrils swished through the air.

_Darkness!_

"What is that?" Thumper sounded frightened, making himself as small as he could, eyes huge in his gray and white face.

"I don't know," Ven whispered back. "But where's the monster?"

No matter how hard he strained, the apprentice could not make out any movement besides that of the black oval.

"It's like the dog just…vanished." The rabbit twitched his tail, beginning to retreat. "Let's go back! It must live here, right?"

"We need to look around some more," Ven argued. He left the cave's mouth and circled the perimeter, testing any particularly loose stones with his paws. A cold draft flowed across his pelt, ruffling it as he neared a particular rock in the hill. With Thumper watching out for signs of the monster hound, the young apprentice investigated the craggy knoll, intent on finding the source.

_There!_

Ventus gently moved some loose scree around, revealing a ragged but small and very real hole in the hillside. Just big enough for a rabbit and a skunk, but far too little for a deer or even a fox, unless the bushy-tailed creature was starving.

A plan began formulating in his head, but just then a ferocious howl sounded from within the cave. Yelping, he just managed to jump away before a pair of jaws closed around his legs. The Keybearer whirled around, glaring, facing the hunting dog. The shadowy specter was stuck halfway within the miniscule opening that Ven had just discovered, its attempt to snag the apprentice failed. It was twisting and thrashing, body fluctuating between several different sizes, frame becoming thicker and skinner. But no matter how it manipulated itself, the hound couldn't escape.

Hooves beat the ground behind him, and Ventus turned to see Bambi skidding to a halt on the top of the mossy slope that led out of the monster's clearing—and its cave.

"Thumper, Ven! C'mon, we've got to get out of here!"

Ven hastily backpedaled as the dog heaved itself out of its trap, shooting clumsily into its den with a comical crash that promised it slammed into the wall in the process. Whilst it was dazed, the rabbit and hare followed the deer out of the blood-soaked meadow.

_The dark thing…it must be important to the monster. But what _is_ it?_

Troubled, he barely noticed the speed of which they flew across the forest, feet just barely skimming the ground. Bambi ran furiously, intent to put as much distance between them and the monstrous shadow as possible. The sun's light was only a faint orange smudge on the horizon. Night was descending, and as it spread its ebony wings, spots of ivory popped into existence one by one. The dusk completed its arrival by opening its one white eye and offering some dim radiance to the world in replacement of the sun's.

Bambi slowed down at last, sides heaving, head nearly to his knees as he began to relax. Clearly, the hound was not interested in giving pursuit just yet. With the absence of solar luminescence, however, Ven knew it would be much harder to spot it now.

Dark cobalt eyes were suddenly in the hare's entire field of sight.

"What. Were. You. _Thinking_?" Terra growled, snorting, causing hot air to flatten Ven's fur.

He forced himself to stand on all fours, staring defiantly up into his role model's angry face. Nighttime shades danced across the stag's features, making him look sinister. A firefly sailed across Terra's right eye briefly, momentarily giving the illusion of his gaze turning yellow.

"I had to know where the hunting dog went," Ven protested.

"And now we know! It lives in this creepy, bone-strewn field." Thumper waved his paws dramatically. "In a crumbling, rocky hillside. The weirdest thing though, is this cave—"

"It has a black portal in it," the Keybearer apprentice finished. "But get this." Ventus looked straight at Aqua, and the skunk twirled her furry tail curiously. "When I was investigating, the hound tried to grab me. It ended up getting stuck in this really small hole in the hill I found. You and I could fit in there…"

"But the dog couldn't? Can't it change size?" Terra's fury had subsided, and now he paced the length of the small clearing, shaking his antlers occasionally.

"That's what we've seen," Flower said quietly, fiddling with some wild daisies growing near her.

"Yeah, Ven's right!" Thumper exclaimed, his ears shooting up. "It was trying to change like crazy—"

"But it must have a limit to how much it can alter itself," Aqua finished. "This is great news! I think—"

"This is pointless," Terra interrupted, stomping over to them and kneeling down so he was close to their level. Bambi cocked his head to the side curiously. The stag remarked with conviction, "We know where the dog is. Let's go kill it."

_Death. No more death, I don't…_

After seeing the battered corpse in the forest—(still so vivid behind closed lids, where the shadows and colors took ethereal forms)—Ventus's entire being balked at the prospect of killing another thing. "This world is called Tranquil Forest," he declared without thinking.

Flower blinked and Aqua nodded.

"I…no more violence! This place is…covered with death." Ven sighed and tried to force his pelt to lie flat as he worked himself up. He still wasn't used to how animal fur reacted to emotions, rising and falling all the time. "It's seen enough violence already."

"It'll have to see a bit more. We can go destroy the thing causing this, and then it can all go back to normal. Obviously this monster is affecting the hunters. Once we've dealt with—"

"No!" Ventus leaped up and placed his front paws on Terra's snout, leaning close and narrowing his eyes. "There has to be another way! I don't even know if we're in a position to fight without our Keyblades!"

At the mention of "Keyblades", all of the resident woodlanders seemed confused.

"He's right, Terra. We can try, but my magic is limited in this form and you…" Aqua's tone was soothing but her expression was uncomfortable. Ven wasn't sure if she was on his side or not.

"I can't kill," Bambi flattened his ears to his skull. "E-Even to get rid of the thing that killed my mother. Deer just don't kill. Not even stags."

"Violence is not the answer," Flower murmured shyly, as if unsure that anyone cared to hear her opinion. Thumper looked guiltily at Terra, but he nodded also, agreeing with the skunk.

"What's wrong with you?" The eldest apprentice demanded. He dislodged Ven from his muzzle and exchanged looks with everyone present. "This is the—"

"You're outvoted. Leader or not, you're outvoted. We're not in a position to fight the shadow hound without some serious injuries." Aqua, the only one that could stand up to Terra without quailing at receiving his displeasure, fixed him with the full power of her azure eyes. "There's a black oval in the cave. I bet that's where the monster is from. If we can send it back into there and make sure it doesn't come back out, we'll solve this problem without harming this delicate forest even more. These creatures aren't killers, they're not predators and we're not in forms that are. This isn't the Pride Lands."

Terra huffed crossly. "Why can't we magic ourselves back to normal?"

"Some worlds have a special magic that'll change you no matter what, remember?" Aqua rose to her paws, and this time she faced Ventus instead. "Do you have any idea what you want to do, to get the monster out of this place?"

The hare was pleased to have everyone's support. Even Terra was grudgingly waiting for his response.

"Alright, here's the plan…"

* * *

"_If we want to get it out, we need to take it back to its cave…and lay an ambush. Right? That'll be us!"_

Ventus had never run faster in his life. The creature had gone out hunting in the morning hours, and after setting their scheme up, they finally initiated it somewhere before early afternoon. Bravely, before the apprentice could stop him, Thumper actually _bit_ the hound and then raced off towards its den. The hare was right beside him, once even grabbing the rabbit's scruff when he stumbled and almost got caught by the infuriated dog chasing them. The twitchy creature was surfing across the woodland floor, and it was hard to say what it looked like thanks to its constantly moving appearance.

All in all, Ven guessed its shape was roughly lupine. Four footed, long snouted, pointy ears and a tail. The red eyes that glowed in its angular face were particularly noticeable, no matter where it tried to conceal itself.

_Cold_ breath glided across the back of their paws as the companions fled, taking every twist and turn they could think of in an effort to escape those fearsome teeth for a few seconds more. Ven had not wanted to involve Thumper, but he would not be left out of the plan to save the forest.

_I don't blame him._

"We're almost there!" Ven panted, earning a bedraggled nod from his friend. They zoomed side by side, almost moving in unison, their eyes locked onto the shape looming before them. Sunlight flared out from behind the stony hill, causing its silhouette to almost appear blindingly bright.

Phase two of the plan was almost upon them.

Just then:

Ventus tripped. He sprawled out on his side, gasping as he just managed to haul his back paw out of reach of a set of massive canines that snapped closed with an ominous _snick_. Even though his blood was roaring in his floppy ears, he gathered all of his strength and put on a huge burst of speed, escaping the agitated hound as it howled in a bloodthirsty rage.

"_Whenever it leaves, Aqua and Flower can get inside the cavern…and do what skunks do, I guess."_

After making sure Ven was all right, Thumper disappeared into the cave of corpses. His pale fur stood out in the darkness just a little bit, but not nearly as much as the blue-eyed Keybearer's golden pelt.

The hound made a wheezing noise that sounded very much like, _"Heh…heh…heh…"_ It expanded itself so that it took up a good deal of the entrance, stepping towards them slowly, a forked gray tongue licking its massive teeth.

Ven made a "_Nyah!"_ face before bounding away into a slightly elevated corner of the grotto. He pushed Thumper through—(the fatter rabbit wasn't as skinny as the hare)—and whisked out of the fissure just as Aqua and Flower emerged from their various hiding places amongst the bone debris that layered the room.

The shadowy specter's face went laughably slack as it beheld the striped tails of the animals. It wailed and endeavored to escape, for not even it was eager to face a skunk (thanks to its sensitive nose). Fortunately enough, Terra and Bambi were ready.

Spotting them from the ground, Ventus gave a grin as the deer heaved vigorously, their combined power causing a particularly large stone to untangle itself from the already unstable mound. A veritable mini rockslide crashed down onto the only exit that the dog could fit through.

"_Terra and Bambi can block the entrance, and then…"_

Passing dangerously near the Dark portal, Aqua and Flower sprayed the air before hastily making their getaway. As the monster shrieked and ran around wildly, once the skunks were safely out, Ventus and the others blocked the tiny hole with some loose rocks that were close at hand.

"…_Aqua and Flower can leave the same way Thumper and I did. Then we seal any small openings and hope the dog leaves. Easy, right?"_

They didn't have to wait long.

After only three heartbeats, the whimpering ceased. Terra chanced a quick look inside, revealing a small gap in the hillside after a few seconds of pithy labor.

"It's gone," he reported. "There's nothing moving in there."

"The Darkness…is it still there?" Aqua asked.

"Yeah. But like I said…" The stag re-covered the cavity. "The hound is gone. It won't be getting out."

Just to be _extra_ careful, the friends circled the knoll, reinforcing every aspect of the mound with more heavy objects that were basically _boulders_.

"We did it!" Bambi exclaimed, bouncing excitedly. "The hunters will stop now!"

"We're lucky they didn't come during Ven's crazy plan," Terra huffed.

"But they didn't. I bet this world will be fine now." Aqua seemed pleased. She smiled at their woodland friends, and Ven decided to do the honors.

He nodded at their allies in turn. "Bambi, Flower, Thumper…thanks for the help! But we've got to go home."

"Oh…that's too bad. But I hope you'll be back soon." Flower practically beamed at them, her little face alight with joy.

"Wait 'till I tell my dad! But she's right. I hope we see you again." Bambi lowered his head in a courteous gesture that surprised the apprentices.

"Yeah! You haven't even _seen_ the forest yet!" Thumper waved good bye energetically as Terra, Aqua, and Ventus bid them farewell and headed away.

There were, of course, certain spots in the Tranquil Forest that cancelled the world's special shapeshifting magic (if one knew the spell). It was to these locations that they headed, making use of Aqua's sensitivity to all things arcane to find them.

And along the way, Ven's sharp ears overheard a hunter's dog complaining about headaches and wondering how long he had been asleep.

Three shapes twinkled out of existence, taking their riders home.

* * *

Unbeknownst to them, unaffected by the skunk's spray floating over from the other side of the Dark Corridor thanks to his helmet, a figure extended his hand and dismissed the shadowy dog from existence with a contemptuous twitch of his covered fingers.

He wasn't even sure himself what kind of emotion he had used to make _that_ creature. Bloodlust, perhaps?

_Whatever the cause…_He smiled. _It was amusing to watch._

* * *

"You see, Master," Terra said as he neared the ending of his explanation concerning their exploits in the Tranquil Forest. "The hound seemed to have originated from this black oval inside a cave. It was Ven's idea to chase it back where it came from, to prevent even _more_ violence from occurring."

_No mention of the fact that _he_ was all for violence at the time._

"And it worked?" Eraqus inquired, stroking his chin thoughtfully and flicking his eyes from Ventus to Terra to Aqua and back again.

"That's right. The hunters and dogs went back to normal, and we left."

"But what do we do about the Darkness?" Aqua clasped her hands in front of her, probably feeling just as disoriented as Ventus was after being an animal for so long.

"_You_ won't do anything, Aqua. I'll seal the Corridor when I get the opportunity, but with your Master Qualification Exams so near, I have my hands full at the moment. I shall shut off the Darkness soon after you both pass. All three of you, extraordinary work. And Ventus?"

"Yes, Master?" The blonde apprentice stood straight and formally at attention, hands at his side. This posture was actually one of his least favorites, but he put up with it out of respect for his teacher.

Eraqus clapped a hand on Ven's shoulder, smiling. "You are advanced in your thinking, to be so young. It was wise to avoid violence while it was still possible. Fantastic work."

Aqua grinned, happy for him, and Terra's eyes briefly displayed something like jealousy before he, too, grinned.

Their teacher informed them they had the entire day off and a good portion of tomorrow, as a reward for their hard work. With that, he went to his room to "look into a pressing matter".

"Terra? Sorry…for not listening to you." Ven stared at the stained glass dappled floor of the Training Room within the Land of Departure's gorgeous castle.

Terra laughed slightly, ruffling the youngest disciple's hair, the motion fond. "You've got nothing to apologize for. I'm proud of you."

Aqua smiled kindly, tapping Ventus's chest. "You've certainly got the heart of a Keyblade Master."

Ven felt like he could fly.

* * *

_**I'm considering ending Disciples of the Keyblade soon and starting a new Birth by Sleep story (also for Dani-Chan, because she's awesome like that) that is actually connected, instead of a one-shot collection. But we'll see. Don't worry, this story isn't done yet.**_

_**Evidently, it was because of that Dark Corridor in Bambi's world that caused it to be lost to Darkness in Kingdom Hearts. Eraqus never did get to close it. A monster created to entertain a certain person is one thing, an army of Heartless is another.**_

_**Thanks to all of my reviewers/favoriters/story alerters/read-and-runners! I hope you drop another review; I love to hear your thoughts!**_


	18. Listening

_~*.*Disciples of the Keyblade*.*~_

**Title:**_ Listening_

**Rating: **T to be safe

**Warnings: **Violence in subsequent chapters

**Characters:** Aqua, Terra, Ventus, Master Eraqus, Pocahontas, Chief Powhatan, John Smith, Ratcliffe, various others

**Summary:** Aqua, Terra, and Ven mistakenly arrive in "The New World", and they're faced with principles they've never heard of before.

**Special Notes: **There's no excuse for this late update save for the additive qualities of Pokémon, Psychonauts, and life. This took a lot of thinking since the whole "skin issue" thing is important in this storyline, but this is one of my favorite Disney movies. This idea is courtesy of **surxi25**, and I hope you enjoy it!

_For Dani-Chan, as always!_

* * *

It had hit them. _Hard. _And Aqua hadn't been able to do anything. They had been harmlessly cruising the pathways between worlds, intending to return home after completing a mission at some kind of circus world, and then…

They had been knocked out of the "sky", plummeting into the shadows and disappearing. She had no idea what had done it, she didn't even get a glimpse.

All she knew was that when she hit the ground, the world collapsed in on itself with a bitter sigh.

~*X*~

Aqua groaned, reaching up to remove her silver-blue helmet from her face. Shaking her hair loose, she endeavored to sit up. It was a struggle, one that left her breathless, but soon she was propped up on her elbows and could take a look at her surroundings.

Forest. Tall trees waved their branches all around her, still clad in green so it must be either summer or spring, she reasoned. Warm sunlight speckled her face through the foliage and she was waist-deep in wildflowers the color of ivory.

Her entire body pulsed with pain, and she grimaced, wondering if she had broken anything. Broken bones were hard to fix, magic or no. Dismissing her armor, she took in a raggedy gulp of air and tried to remember what had happened.

_Terra…Ven…where are they? Are they here?_

She got to her feet, feeling a bit better now that her dented armor was gone, wiping grass off of her clothes. Aqua didn't detect anything particularly _dangerous_ about this world…not like the volcanic nightmare zone of Chernabog and his cronies. Just nature, and running water, and rays of sun.

_I need to find my friends,_ she decided. Of course, there was no evidence that they had even crash landed in the same world as she did, but they had fallen close together…She couldn't leave without taking the time to perform a thorough search.

Aqua waded through the flowers, wondering how in the world she had plummeted onto a _planet_ and survived, checking her mental bond with her Keyblade to make sure it was still accessible. Hadn't she been on her Rider?

What on earth had attacked her?

She entered the woods, which became steadily darker the further she went in, and her skin crawled as indistinct shapes moved around her. She resisted the urge to light a fire to illuminate her path, instead opting to leave the shadows and start down a rugged slope that led towards a cliff overlooking the sea.

There was a quiet tranquility in the air that wasn't unlike the Land of Departure's, and she took comfort in that, calling out occasionally for her missing companions. The female Keyblader reached her destination and peered down the steep drop, watching the ocean shatter and explode against the rocks below.

_Is there anyone here? _Aqua mused. _I haven't seen anyone at all since woke up. Maybe I'm not near a town?_

A snuffling behind her earned her attention, and she whipped around to see—

…A brown bear cub. It was positively adorable, with its black button eyes and little nose. She smiled, hesitantly kneeling and touching its ears. "Hello there," she crooned in a soft voice. "Are you lost?"

The cub didn't seem to mind her petting it, but someone else sure did.

With a roaring bellow, a _much_ _larger_ bear burst from the forest and charged straight at her.

Aqua's heart thudded against her ribcage as she hurriedly backed away from the mother's child. Unfortunately, the little tyke decided to follow her, and she blinked at it in mortification.

_Oh no._

The bear reared up on her hind legs and snarled, easily towering over the Keybearer. Those teeth and claws didn't look friendly…

She didn't want to hurt her, though. After all, the beast was just protecting her kid. How could she explain that the cub wasn't in any danger?

Then, Aqua remembered that she _had_ been an animal before. Maybe she could reassure the bear so she wouldn't kill her? It was worth a shot. If all else failed, she'd chase her off with magic. Maybe her experience as a fauna could be of some assistance.

Before she could do anything however, she heard something.

"_Listen with your heart, and you will understand."_

It was so indistinct that she thought she had imagined it, but Aqua was never one to dismiss things so easily. Still, how in the world was she supposed to listen with her heart? And what was she listening _to_? The creature's fear?

Her mind raced as the bear drew a paw back, still focused on the innocently happy cub at the apprentice's feet.

Aqua knew she had to do something, and _quickly_. So she raised a hand and said clearly, "I mean your child no harm."

To her astonishment, the mother bear froze. She stared at the Keybearer with obvious surprise in her small eyes, a rather hilarious expression to see on animals in particular.

"Please, take your cub and leave in peace." Aqua felt as if someone had just opened a channel to a new line of magic power she had never experienced before. Somehow, she knew that this was something she could only pull off in this specific world—probably thanks to the mysterious voice in the wind. Red and gold leaves swirled around the Keyblader as the mother bear fell back onto all fours and tucked her child safely underneath her belly.

Without another sound, the pair of animals left, shambling off into the forest until their amber pelts were hidden from sight.

The breeze died down, but a single scarlet leaf settled on Aqua's shoulder. Stunned, she brushed it absently off.

_Did I just talk to the animal? But what was I listening to? I didn't hear anything from the bear…but she heard me, she _understood _me._

The poor Keybearer didn't even get any more time to mull over what had just happened, because then two tall figures stepped out of the trees.

Aqua studied them a bit warily.

They had copper colored skin, wearing animal leather with their long, dark hair drawn back. Paint was daubed across both of their faces, and they had a wiry, strong look to them. The duo seemed to blend into the world itself, as if they were just extensions of nature. A quiver full of arrows was bound to both of their backs, and stone tomahawks rested on their waists.

Exchanging a glance with one another, the male on the left spoke first. "Are you with the white men?"

_White men? _She thought it was a pretty vague term. _We're all pale, sure, but…_

Noticing her confused expression, the same man continued. "The men who arrived down by the shore, in strange crafts." He pointed towards the west. "They dig into the soil, and cut down the trees."

Aqua shook her head. "No, I'm not. I'm here with my two friends, Terra and Ven. Have you seen them?"

The second warrior—they quite clearly were fighters—decided to say something. "You and your friends aren't with _them_?"

Judging by the way he said it, she didn't _want_ to be with "them". "No, we got here by…mistake. They're dressed like me…are they not around here?"

The first man looked at his ally again. "We have seen none like you," he informed her. "But, are you a shaman? You just spoke with the bears." His tone was both impressed and suspicious.

Shaman? Did they think she was some kind of medicine man or something? Aqua wasn't sure how to address that, since in truth she _was _capable of healing, but did that mean much of anything? Or was their term of "shaman" completely different?

"I'm a Keyblade Apprentice skilled in magic," she started carefully. "But I'm not a shaman."

"What's your name?" The same warrior asked after a lengthy silence.

"Aqua."

"Are your friends apprentices also?"

"Yes." His intense, almost wolf-like stare was kind of uncomfortable, and his face was so…serious.

"Come back to camp with us," he more or less ordered. "If you are not allied with the white men, we may be able to assist you in locating your friend."

"Wait a minute," she objected. "What're your names?"

The man she had been conversing with replied after a brief pause, "Kocoum."

"Naantam," the other answered shortly, though there was no hostility coming from him that Aqua could detect.

She was still indecisive. _Master Eraqus always taught me to trust my heart. What does my heart say about these people? Can I trust them?_

Ignoring their impatience, she assessed them both up and down. After a long period of studying, Aqua decided to go ahead and follow them. It might be her only chance at finding Terra and Ven, after all.

"Lead the way," she announced at last, and the pair turned and stalked lithely into the trees. She hurried to catch up, walking just behind them, busying herself with collecting information.

Judging by their apparel, she was not in a technologically advanced world. That was fine in itself, but that meant she would most likely run into the same problem she _always_ ran into.

Sexist discrimination.

Only because she was a girl and not a boy, and thus she would be considered inferior to any male in combat and would most likely be treated more than a little condescendingly.

Aqua sighed. It wasn't always the case, but…maybe she'd get lucky here.

To distract herself from frightening thoughts of Ven and Terra running into killer wildlife without the whispering wind to guide them, she cleared her throat and remarked in a friendly enough manner, "I've never been here before. Where are we?"

Naantam alone glanced back at her. "This is the forest of the mother land."

_Mother land? I see. _Told her a bit about their culture. Most likely, they were close to the earth if they used words like _that_.

(Which was good. She had no quarrel with anyone that showed respect to the world.)

"Tell me about your people," she insisted. "What are you called?"

The shadows gradually began to thin as they re-angled themselves onto a new path, and Aqua heard water bubbling nearby.

It seemed it was Naantam's turn to talk to her, instead of Kocoum's, and their seriousness was a little unnerving. "We are the Powhatans, and have been on this land for countless generations. But, never before have we seen people of your kind. If you are not with the white men, but have their coloring, who are you and your friends allied with?"

"We don't belong here; we…got here by accident," Aqua stated awkwardly.

Kocoum spoke abruptly. "How?"

"Our…ships crashed, after we were caught in an unexpected…storm." She wasn't sure how they'd react to straight up Keyblade Rider magic, so she sought to be as vague about it as possible. The Keybearer trio, after all, had run into some negative response over the arcane arts before. One town even burned "witches" for using magic.

The natives didn't appear to believe her, but neither of them pursued the topic, something she was grateful for.

Aqua cleared a hill and gasped, pausing to gaze at what was laid out neatly before her. Corn fields stretched a good distance in every direction, and there were dirt roads between rows of the stalks. Women with baskets on their heads were collecting the yellow vegetables, and canoes were docked on the banks of a close by river. A few men were fishing, and a small village with somewhat more primitive houses than the Keybearer was used to composed the settlement entirely.

But still, it held a certain charm to it of a peaceful community at work. It was the kind of place where everyone knew each other's names and she bet they met at the big lodge with the hole in its roof pretty often. Smoke poured out of gaps in the huts, and the smell of roasting meat and charred wood was carried to her by the wind.

"First you must speak with Chief Powhatan," Kocoum declared at her side. Naantam looked a little amused at the girl's reaction to the rural community. "Then we might help you find your friends."

"Okay." She nodded resolutely, taking a deep breath and hoping that the leaders would take a little pity on her. She'd put up with sexist comments, if only the natives would assist her in locating Terra and Ventus.

_I hope you're both doing okay…_

Aqua trailed after the males, feeling more and more sheepish as she felt the curious eyes of dozens touching her skin. She brushed at her azure hair self-consciously, metal shoes scuffing the dirt just a bit.

They scaled a small slope and Naantam stood to the side, holding an animal skin back—a deer's—so Aqua could enter the dwelling. She followed Kocoum inside, but Naantam stayed where he was, letting the hide drop back into place.

The hut was much larger than she had imagined, with decorations on makeshift shelves that were mostly comprised of things that could be carved or crafted from the wild fauna. There was a fire in a pit towards the center, and the floor was dirt, flattened so smoothly that she almost didn't notice.

Nervously, she tugged at her sleeves and stood beside Kocoum as he gestured at her. "Chief Powhatan," he said respectfully. "This woman is named Aqua, and she requests our assistance. Naantam and I saw her speaking with a mother bear, stopping her attack and peacefully sending her away with her child. She claims to be unaligned with the white men, and she wants to locate her missing companions."

Aqua forced her gaze upwards and almost instantly landed on the lined face of the Chief. His red paint was more noticeable than his warriors, and he bore a feathered headdress and a decorated robe embellished with intricate designs. She was almost intimidated by his dark eyes and imposing presence, but there was something about him that reminded her heavily of Master Eraqus.

She decided to speak, since that seemed to be what he was waiting for. "That's right." She used the same courteous bow she reserved for her mentor. "I humbly ask if you would help me find my friends, Terra and Ven."

He didn't say a word at first, just stared at her, and Aqua had the feeling that he was very adept when it came to reading a person. She prayed that he could see past the evident problem of her skin color, otherwise she might end up fleeing from the camp if things took a turn for the worse.

Chief Powhatan stroked his chin once, and then he spoke in a deep, powerful voice that reverberated with years of wisdom. "Kocoum says that you spoke to a mother bear, convinced her to turn away without conflict. How did you do this?"

"I-I heard someone talking to me when the wind blew. A female voice. She said 'listen with your heart, and you will understand'. I did as she directed, sir." Aqua hoped that the word "sir" wasn't unfamiliar to these people, in case she ended up offending someone accidentally.

"A female voice on the wind?" The Chief echoed, his tone neutral. Again he gazed to the side, thoughtful, standing before the female Keybearer with his staff in hand and tapping its worn handle. "Kocoum. Find Kekata, and bring him here."

The native warrior saluted smartly and left without even so much as looking at Aqua. She stood stiffly at attention, like she did when Eraqus was teaching or telling her something important.

The Chief smiled then, and laugh lines spread out across his face. "Relax," he encouraged. "You are in no danger here, so long as you keep the peace."

Gratefully, she slackened her posture to a more natural one. "Sir, if I may, what do you mean by 'the white men'?"

"When we say that, we are referring to the pale ones that have settled on the shore not far from here. They are slicing down trees and tearing into the earth, with little regard for the things that live there. These men are dangerous, Aqua, and if you are truly not one of them…then you would do well to avoid them."

"Thank you for the warning, sir." Aqua knew that she would find Terra there, she just _knew_ it. His luck, after all, was just _that_ bad.

"Where are you from, Aqua?" Chief Powhatan inquired, head tilted slightly. "You are dressed differently, than the men that arrived in the strange crafts."

"My friends and I are from far away. Once we find each other I promise we'll leave you and your people alone," she assured him.

"We shall keep an eye out for any that are similar to you." When Aqua thanked him, he went on. "When Kekata arrives, don't fear him. I sense something in you that he will probably find interesting."

_Interesting in a good way, or bad?_

The flap opened again, and instead of Kocoum prowling in, Kekata stepped inside. He was a stooped, very old man with long gray hair and a wrinkled face. The only thing that stood out clearly was his eyes, black against his brown skin, bright like feral fire.

"Kekata." the Chief nodded. "This young woman here, is Aqua. There is something about her that is familiar to me."

The shaman turned to the girl and she bowed again, low and formal. He observed her for a few heartbeats, and then he wheezed, "Your hand."

Puzzled, she offered him her hand and he took it, running his warm fingers across her palm. He seemed pretty intrigued by what he found.

"What is it, Kekata?" Chief Powhatan queried, looking just as fascinated as Aqua was flummoxed.

"This girl," he responded. "She has the hands of a warrior, but the fingers of a mother, with a long life line, amongst other things." He released her from his grip, and then he straightened himself and said, "Look me in the eyes."

Aqua did so, and she couldn't help but ponder over his words as she met his dark gaze. She knew without even waiting too long—Kekata was very wise, very old, and very experienced in the ways of the world.

Well, those _were_ the requirements of an elder after all.

Kekata unexpectedly grinned, and it was so sudden that the Keybearer was a bit startled. "She has good eyes. You can trust this one." With that he turned and limped away.

"I have good eyes…?" She repeated, blinking at the Chief questioningly. "What does that mean, exactly?"

He chuckled deep in his throat. "It means you will unite with your friends soon."

~*X*~

_Author's Note: Before anyone asks, Aqua gets special treatment from the skeptic natives because she displayed a trait that usually shamans only have—the "communicating with animals" bit she exhibited earned her some interest and even a bit of respect from them. Who we see next depends on you guys! Terra's Point of View, or Ven's for the upcoming chapter?_

_Expect the next update __far__ sooner now that I've got my act back together. So please, drop a review and tell me who's next. This might end up being __three__ chapters long due to the plot's length, but maybe not. _

_By the way, "Naantam" means "wolf" I believe in the Powhatan language._


	19. Searching

_~*.*Disciples of the Keyblade*.*~_

**Title:**_ Searching_

**Rating: **T to be safe

**Warnings: **Violence in subsequent chapters

**Characters:** Terra, Aqua, Ventus, Master Eraqus, Pocahontas, Chief Powhatan, John Smith, Ratcliffe, various others

**Summary:** Aqua, Terra, and Ven mistakenly arrive in "The New World", and they're faced with principles they've never heard of before.

**Special Notes: **Sorry for the wait, I was moving from Texas to Missouri. I've finally got my own room! XD Anyway, this idea is courtesy of **surxi25**, and I hope you enjoy the rest!

_For Dani-Chan, as always!_

* * *

_I hurt. Everywhere. In every place. Ever. _

Ignoring the redundancy of his own thoughts, Terra rolled onto his side—and got pecked in the nose by some kind of darting green bird. He growled, slapping the offending creature away, but the hummingbird flickered out of reach with a shrill chirp.

Dismissing his armor, the male Keybearer glanced from left to right, brows furrowed, massaging his head and surveying the area. To be rather frank about it, there was nothing but forest all around him. Towering, mighty skyscrapers with broad trunks and wide, leafy branches. He shrugged, getting to his feet in a much steadier manner than Aqua had previously.

"Great…where am I?" A pause. "Where's Aqua and Ven?" He considered calling their names, but drawing attention to himself might not be a smart idea since he didn't know what lived here. There could be dragons for all he knew.

He craned his head up, knocking some clinging moss and dirt from his shirt and pants, seeing a visible _hole_ in the upper canopy from where he had fallen in. Great, then he probably had more bruises than he cared to count. Better not to think about it.

Terra rubbed the back of his skull, heaving a sigh. _Right. Let's go take a look at this place. _After making sure his mental connection with his Keyblade was still intact, the brawny warrior made his way through the forest with surprisingly quiet steps for one his size.

The air became damper, and when he breathed, his mouth was layered with the fine, delicate taste of water and green growing things. He placed his foot and heard a small splash. Glancing down, Terra saw a little liquid trickle sliding between verdant ferns and algae.

_Well, at least I won't dehydrate._

Trees with low hanging branches brushed the surface of the water, and it gradually increased in width and depth until a creek of decent proportions was meandering through the hushed wood. Terra decided to follow it, assuming that where there was something to drink, there'd be people.

_Unless something really nasty hides around here..._

Not being the most optimistic of fellows, Terra kept a cautious eye on his surroundings. Eventually a small island came into view in the broadest section of the river, and he glimpsed a figure moving through the vines that crisscrossed the ancient willow that grew on it.

_Friendly? Hostile? Only one way to know for certain._

Terra was fairly confident that he could handle anything he encountered, but regardless he approached warily. It was impossible to cross the water without creating a sound, so he went ahead and let the splashing announce his arrival. No need to spook anyone…

Pushing aside the hanging curtain of leaf and vine, the male Keybearer looked around. The tree was far taller than he had previously imagined, and there was what appeared to be a stump acting as a seat of sorts directly in front of a slightly bulging, though smooth, indention in the trunk, which was gray with age. Terra inhaled slowly, releasing the air in the form of a sigh. He felt…uneasy. He didn't know why.

Wait, hadn't there been someone here…?

"Hello?" Terra thought he glimpsed a shape moving to his right, but when he whirled around, there was nothing there. He scowled, summoning his Keyblade and resting its reassuring weight on his shoulders. "Is someone here?"

"My, my…I've not seen a Keybearer for a long time."

Gasping, he watched as a _face_, an elderly woman's _face_, formed on the willow tree. Eyes carved into the bark itself surveyed him with an undeniably intelligent gaze.

"That _tree_ is talking to me. Oh boy." Shaking his head, Terra remarked, "I must have fallen harder than I had thought."

"So that was _you_? The forest was complaining that something had disturbed the canopy."

"Uh…sorry." Terra swallowed, licking his lips, trying to think of what to _say_. "Who are you?"

"I am Grandmother Willow. You, young man, _are_ a Keybearer, aren't you?" She studied him with evident interest, and he tried not to stare _too_ rudely. He supposed talking trees shouldn't be _too_ unusual…after all, he turned into animals…

"Yes, ma'am. Ah…" He crept forward delicately, as if he was frightened of hurting her in some way. Grandmother Willow gestured with a vine for him to sit on the stump, and he did so slowly, without moving his shadowy blue gaze from her own.

"You have a good soul, but I foresee trouble for you down the road…" She murmured, almost sadly.

"Trouble? What do you mean?" His blood ran cold.

"Oh nothing, nothing," commented Grandmother Willow breezily. "Now tell me, young man, what is your name?"

"Terra."

"Terra. That's a good name. Strong like the earth, aren't you?" She chuckled before growing serious. "Are you looking for something, Terra?"

"I am. Have you seen my friends, Aqua and Ven?" He tried to push his feeling of foreboding away, but it encroached on his senses and dug into his mind with razor-sharp tentacles.

"Aqua and Ven…" She exhaled so heavily that a tendril of moss shot up into the air and away from her face. "I know where Aqua is, but I don't know about Ven."

Terra gripped his leg so tightly that his nails dug into the fabric of his pants. "That's fine. I'll find Ven myself. Where's Aqua…please." He added, remembering that this was probably a wise old nature spirit. Respect was key, unless he wanted the landscape itself trying to kill him.

Grandmother Willow grumbled to herself. "She's with the Powhatan Tribe that lives near the river. Unfortunately, I doubt they'll let you just walk into camp."

"Why's that? Is she captured?" He narrowed his eyes to slits, grasping _Earth Shaker's_ handle with an increased vigor.

"No, no, nothing like that. There are white men—"

Terra glanced down at his own skin.

"—digging near the shore. They've hurt a member of their Tribe and now they are wary of anyone that resembles them."

"Uh oh." _I bet Ven is over there! _Biting off a curse word in his head, Terra inquired politely, "How is Aqua safe with the Powhatans then?"

Grandmother Willow smiled. "She has a good heart, and impressed them with her ability to communicate with the animals, something the other white men have not done. They believe her to be a…shaman, of sorts."

"Great. That's just like Aqua." Rumpling his hair, he sighed and stood up. "I need to go to her."

The tree apparently disagreed, because she shifted her curtain of vines and scrunched her face up in thought. "Young man," she began gently. "I think you would be better off finding your other friend. Ven, did you say? Aqua is safe with the Tribe for now, but even_ I_ don't know where Ven is."

"He's not in the forest?"

When Grandmother Willow indicated he was right, she also stated in a pensive tone, "I've got an idea…climb to the top of my branches, child. From there you can see the camp of the white men, the settlers. Your friend may be there."

"I don't doubt it," Terra growled in annoyance, starting the rigorous task of heaving himself up the branches. Every individual limb creaked underneath his weight, and he paused a moment to utter a quick apology before continuing. As the ground moved farther and farther away from him, he felt his stomach somersault a little. Heights weren't a personal favorite of his…

Once, he almost slipped due to a particularly slippery portion of the tree, and he yelped in a most uncharacteristic fashion, clinging to the trunk and waiting for his pounding heart to slow down. Gradually, the earth disappeared altogether and he ended up situated on the very top of Grandmother Willow, resting uncomfortably in a split. Swiping at a few leaves, the Keybearer brought a hand to his eyes and scanned the horizon.

Forest, rocks, sand, sea, and sky. It spread out before him as if that was all that existed in the world, and he tasted ocean salt on his tongue and scented forest mildew in his nose. It was a beautiful place, even _he_ would freely admit that, but he didn't particularly care at the moment. He had to find his companions, after all.

There, on the shore, was indeed a grand boat and several white tents. The woodland there was brutally scarred by flames and what looked like explosives, with battered and broken trees littering the beach. A fort had been built and fires could be glimpsed burning along the campground.

Figures—small, indistinct shapes—moved along, doing what appeared to be…digging. And it could have been his imagination, but Terra swore he caught the familiar bronze gleam of a certain Keybearer's armor…

"What do you see?" Grandmother Willow called from below.

"Ven's over there all right," he confirmed, taking one more look around. He spotted what must have been the Powhatan Tribe's village, but Aqua wouldn't appreciate him going to look for her first, especially if she was okay. He'd have to go after Ventus, then.

_Hang on,_ he promised. _I'll be right there to get you._

After he was back on solid land, Terra bowed to her, the same elaborate gesture he gave to Master Eraqus. "Thank you," he said with genuine gratitude.

She laughed in way of a reply. "Well, aren't you courteous? And handsome, too!"

Heat touched his cheeks and he scowled. _Getting hit on by a tree? Now _that's_ just odd._ "If you see Aqua, can you tell her where I've gone?"

"Yes, of course. Good luck now, Terra, and here's a bit of advice for you…listen with your heart, and you will understand this world." Grandmother Willow grinned again before her visage melted back into the tree.

_Listen with my heart?_ He folded a fist over his chest, contemplative. Shaking it off, he set off at a jog in the direction of the white men's settlement, leaving the river island and its benevolent guardian behind.

~*X*~

The sun was beginning to set, but at last Terra came to the beach. His metal shoes scuffed and scraped against the rough texture of the sand, and the sea looked like a moving stream of blood.

_Not an omen. Nope._

Stalking past a horde of chattering seabirds, the male Keyblader came up behind the structure of the settlers' fortress. He took a deep breath before stepping out into plain view, and like he had thought, it wasn't long until someone noticed and an alarm was sounded

The walls were made out of trees with sharpened points, and he watched with a disinterested gaze as a bunch of burly men came at him carefully, as if he was a wild beast. Some had muskets; others had swords on their waists. A few had both. Comically, one frightened boy that looked younger than the rest had a shovel raised as if to strike him with it.

The notion was idiotic, and made Terra smirk.

_I come in peace_, he thought sarcastically before raising his hands to show he was unarmed and saying, "Don't shoot."

One man with ruffled black hair stroked his chin. "Who are you, and what are you doin' here?"

"He isn't one of those savages, is he?"

"Of course not, Thomas! He's got white skin, for cryin' out loud!"

"I'm looking for my friend," Terra interrupted, feeling a little more reassured upon noticing that he was taller than several of those present, or at least at their height. He crossed his arms and drew himself up to his full stature to show he wasn't intimidated by their mob of five. "Have you seen him?"

"Blimey, you must be one of those guys that Ventus chap is lookin' for! Terra, I presume?" The same black-haired settler asked, his heavily accented voice making it clear that he didn't belong in this land of green nature.

"Ven's here? Where is he?"

"Back in the base," said a redhead, jerking his thumb towards their fortress. "If you're not with those savages, you can come on in. Tell us about yourself, 'cause we thought we were the only civilized folks 'round these parts."

_Savages? What savages? They don't mean the Powhatans? _

Terra cautiously followed the pack inside the high walls, and he was quick to note the layout of the system that raised and lowered the gateway should he ever need to make a break for it. He curled his fingers into fists and fought back the urge to gag. Didn't these guys ever _bathe_?

They were clad in old style tunics, and the state of their weapons made it clear that this world wasn't very advanced technologically. Good, then. They'd probably be frightened by magic if that was the case, and he wouldn't hesitate to burn the place down to the ground if they got him angry. No one would like it if he became angry, to say the very least.

Some men were shuffling pans, probably looking for gold. _That must be what they're digging for_.

"Say," announced one of the men to his right. "You haven't happened to see someone named John Smith around, have you? John is always off in the forest and no one knows where the blasted guy goes off to!"

"Haven't a clue." Silence. "Have you seen a girl dressed like me?" If Aqua was already known to be allied with the natives, she might be in trouble…

Luckily, the response was no, and Terra let out a sigh of relief.

At that moment, he was tackled and he barely managed to keep his footing as he stumbled.

"Terra!" shouted a familiar voice, his tone warm. "There you are!"

"Ven," he grunted, prying the boy's fingers from his neck and shoulder. "It's good to see you, but I need _air_."

"Oh. Sorry." Springing back the boy grinned, brushing his nose absently and leaving a smudge of dirt on his face. "Have you seen Aqua?" His gaze became serious and concerned.

He shook his head to indicate that no, he hadn't. "What are you doing here?" Terra looked the boy up and down. "And why are you covered in dirt?"

Ven gestured around him. "I landed right in the middle of their camp! The Governor here, Ratcliffe, promised to help me find you guys if I used some of my magic to help their digging."

"He was a right help too," put in one of the men.

"Livened the place up, he did," added another.

_Great, he's popular with the settlers._

"We have to go find Aqua," Terra interrupted. "It's important."

"Sun's going down, why don't you stay for the night and search for your friend tomorrow?" The black-haired man grinned widely, elbowing Terra with a surprising amount of force. "Who's this Aqua, eh? Is she your girl?"

"Um…no." Terra tried and failed to hide his blush. "A f-friend."

"Yeah, Aqua's just a friend!" stammered Ventus, averting his sky-blue eyes.

"One of your two need to make an honest woman outta her," guffawed another settler. "C'mon then, we'll get you two somethin' to eat."

"Nothin' but bloody hardtack and fish," griped someone behind them.

Terra and Ven found themselves being ushered towards some kind of mess hall, and the pair of Keybearers just shrugged at one another and went with the flow.

…_I guess Aqua can take care of herself until morning. We can get some answers this way._

~*X*~

_Author's Note: Pocahontas and John will finally appear in the next chapter, talking to Aqua. Anyway, expect the next update soon! Sorry none of the settlers have names right now, I haven't seen the movie in like forever and I don't remember anyone at all…except for Thomas._

_I really want to finish DoTK so I fear that the Pocahontas arc may be the last. The reason for this is I want to finish Impossible As It Seems, my canon AU story. But who knows?_

_Review, if you want! Thanks for reading!_


	20. Saving

_~*.*Disciples of the Keyblade*.*~_

**Title:**_ Saving_

**Rating: **T to be safe

**Warnings: **Violence

**Characters:** Ventus, Aqua, Terra, Master Eraqus, Pocahontas, Chief Powhatan, Grandmother Willow, John Smith, Ratcliffe, various others

**Summary:** Aqua, Terra, and Ven mistakenly arrive in "The New World", and they're faced with principles they've never heard of before.

**Special Notes: **Besides the epilogue I may or may not do, this is the last chapter of _Disciples of the Keyblade_. As you know, this idea is courtesy of **surxi25**, and I hope you enjoy it!

_For Dani-Chan, as always!_

~*X*~

Ventus narrowed his eyes, raising a hand to shield himself from the sharp glint of the sun against the river beneath them. He and Terra had left the settlers' camp early, not really worrying about the "savages" despite their warnings.

"After all," Terra had reasoned. "Grandmother Willow said that Aqua was okay with them."

The blonde still couldn't believe that Terra had spoken with a _tree_, but he shoved his surprise away and focused on finding Aqua. Evidently the older male knew where the village they were searching for was, and he let Terra lead the way without complaint.

They were on an upraised portion of land that trailed along near a fast-flowing stream. Some beavers were attempting to dam it up, but they weren't making a lot of progress at the moment. The wildlife was plentiful here, and Ven stopped more than once to look around at the green-leafed trees, emerald grass, and paw-prints that dotted the dirt like abstract patterns.

"I don't like Ratcliffe," Terra remarked a few feet ahead of him, trudging forward without checking to see how close Ven was. His hands were shoved in his pockets, but his expression wasn't visible at the moment.

"I don't either," Ven admitted, hurrying to keep up and falling into step at the eldest apprentice's side. "He was completely obsessed with finding gold. I dug all day and I still didn't find anything interesting."

Before they had departed from the settlers' camp, Governor Ratcliffe had come out (along with his "Yes-Man", Wiggins) and practically ordered them to learn about where the "savages" had hidden the gold. A favor for a favor, or some such nonsense.

Terra grunted, dismissive of Ratcliffe and his words, pushing aside a tree branch and sliding down a slope, with Ventus close behind. The air was cool and damp and tasted of algae, evidence of their close proximity to the lake. A small waterfall crashed nearby, throwing up a cloud of glittering foam.

"Are we almost there?" Ven questioned, jumping across the water via the stepping stones. He almost slipped but managed to catch himself.

"I think so," Terra replied over his shoulder. "I got a good view of everything from the top of the tree, and I'm sure the village was at least in this direction."

Before the blonde could answer, he got a blast of leaves to the face. He shouted in surprise as the unexpected wind caught him off-guard, sending him tumbling head over heels down a hillside. He waited for the world to stop spinning, groaning, finding his body braced against the hollow husk of a fallen tree.

A big pair of dark eyes was suddenly in his field of vision, and Ven yelped in shock again.

" Ven! Are you okay?" Terra was at his side, staring down at him with concern in his gaze. He directed his attention towards the creature peering inquisitively at the blonde, smirking a little. "It's just a raccoon."

"Huh? Oh!" Getting to his feet, he smiled and offered a hand. "Hey there!"

The raccoon sniffed his hand, turning it over as if looking for something. When he didn't find it, he huffed in annoyance.

"Let's keep going," instructed Terra, already moving away.

"Wait a minute; I think we should follow him!"

Pause. "_Why_?"

Dusting himself off, Ven sought to find a justification for his unexplainable logic. "I've got a feeling we should," he explained lamely. Meanwhile, the raccoon was sniffing along near a bush with bright red berries.

"Riiight." Terra shook his head, sighing deeply.

"You wouldn't happen to know where the natives are, would you?" Ven kindly asked the raccoon. The masked animal cocked his head to the side, and then made a sort of barking sound before lumbering off. "I think he knows!" The boy shouted excitedly, turning back to Terra with a silly grin before racing off after the raccoon.

The ground shot downwards so abruptly that the blonde almost lost his footing, but he managed to regain it and was none the worse for wear. Sunlight dappled his skin with peculiar patchwork shapes, just like the earth beneath his feet. The raccoon was a lot faster than he looked, bounding forward with his striped tail swirling.

Terra crashed through the brush like a grizzly bear. "Are we really going to follow a _raccoon_?"

Ven's only reply was a cheery smile tossed over his shoulder.

Eventually the forest floor changed, transforming into damp gray stone. The raccoon shot up into a tree, and the youngest apprentice stared after him interestedly. Just then, he noticed something moving out of the corners of his eyes. Grabbing Terra before the brunette could pass, he pointed silently at the three figures below.

They were sitting on flat rocks near a waterfall. Two women and a man. One woman had long, dark hair and an emerald hummingbird fluttering near her shoulder. She was gazing at the blonde man, who was cupping his hands to take a drink out of the clear water. The other of the trio…

"Aqua!" Ven cried excitedly, springing straight down. He ended up slipping and creating quite a splash as his head went under the pool formed by the small set of streams that were running away from the tumbling falls. Terra dropped next to him, chuckling and helping the blonde to his feet. Unbothered, Ven ran over to Aqua as she stood up with surprised delight shining in her azure eyes.

"Ven! Terra!" She called happily as they reunited, standing beside one another and practically deafening themselves as they all tried to explain what had happened to them at once.

"Wait, wait," Aqua sought to get her companions to quiet themselves, waving her hands. Taking a step back, she gestured at her amused looking companions. "Ven, Terra, I would like you to meet Pocahontas and John Smith. Pocahontas, John, these are my friends."

The sturdily built blonde settler approached Terra, offering his hand. "Nice to meet you. You must be who she was looking for." He dipped his head in Aqua's direction.

Terra returned the handshake with a firm nod. "That's right."

Pocahontas smiled, and Ven swore she had the same exact inquisitive air to her as he did. He liked her already. "Ven," she said his name slowly, rolling it off of her tongue. "That's an interesting name," she laughed. "Does it mean anything?"

"Short for Ventus, which is Latin for wind!" He put his hands on his hips proudly, baring all of his teeth in a huge grin.

Pocahontas's response was a grin of her own. She turned to Aqua and inquired, "Does that mean you're leaving now?"

"We might need to," Aqua admitted. "You see, we aren't allowed to meddle and—"

John Smith turned around abruptly and yelped, "Hey! What do you think you're doing?"

The raccoon was back, and this time his nose was buried in the blonde settler's satchel that had been deposited next to the waterfall. Something gold flashed in his pointy teeth before he scrambled up into a tree.

"Meeko!" Pocahontas scolded, racing over in a swirl of black hair, deftly climbing the jagged stones as if they weren't even there. "Give that back!"

Ven, Terra, and Aqua all exchanged looks before giggling at the couple as they endeavored to reason with the raccoon. Ven said reluctantly, "So we're just going to leave?"

"We're not on a mission. Master must be worried sick," Aqua fretted.

"I'm sure he's fine, but she's right, Ven. Besides, what are we going to fix here? We can't deal with every single little difference—" Terra was cut off by the untimely arrival of a brass compass that smacked him straight in the face. Either someone had dropped it from above the nearby ledge, or it had bounced out of Meeko's grasp.

Snickering, Ven bent to pick up the object as Pocahontas jogged over and peeked at it with open curiosity.

"It's a compass," John explained to her, taking it from the blonde Keybearer with an appreciative nod. The hummingbird tapped it with its beak before zipping off again.

"A compass? What does it do?" The native took it in her hands and rotated it. Ven watched the turning arrow as Terra and Aqua started quietly bickering behind him.

"It shows you which way is north. See? No matter how you hold it or where you face, that—" He traced the arrow with one finger. "Will point north."

"A turning arrow…" Pocahontas's eyes became cloudy as she sank deep into thought.

"Something the matter?"

"Nothing at all." She grinned to prove it, and then faced Aqua. "Before you go, why don't you come meet Grandmother Willow?"

"Grandmother Willow? Um, sure. Will...she be okay with my friends?"

She laughed again, and Ven had the feeling that she laughed a lot. "I'm sure she will," assured the native warmly.

"Oh, would that be the tree that Terra was talking with earlier?" Ven piped up.

Pocahontas appeared clearly astonished. She stared straight at Terra. "You spoke with Grandmother Willow?"

He rubbed the back of his hair. "Yeah. I think she liked me."

"Wait, what? Talking trees?" John Smith looked around blankly, prompting a collection of smiles from everyone.

"You'll see. This way." Pocahontas sprinted off, spry as a deer, and Ven pelted after her just as quickly. She was flanked by her hummingbird, Flit, on one side as Meeko the raccoon bounced down to land on her shoulder.

"Great, we're running some more," Terra complained. He certainly had their endurance but—and this was thought in a slightly smug manner—he lacked the rest of the party's speed.

This just made Ven jog all the faster.

~*X*~

_Um…are these wetlands? I should have paid more attention to our geography lessons, _Ven thought sheepishly as his armored feet sank into soft mud near the riverbank. Water twined through low-hanging branches and much of the light from above was blocked out, creating a twilight-ish glow. The setting was certainly mystical enough for a talking tree…

Pocahontas had a canoe, and after Aqua worked some magic to make all of the Keybearers lighter, they were able to use it to successfully enter the hanging ivy folds of an ancient willow tree without getting wet. Fortunately it had been parked not far from where they had come out of the forest, obviously intentional on Pocahontas's part.

"So…talking trees…" John seemed a bit skeptical, but Terra merely smirked.

"Cool!" Ven celebrated; jumping ashore the instant they hit the edges of the small island. An ancient blue-barked tree towered over them, and he waved cheerfully. "Hiya there!"

Pocahontas laughed again as Ven stumbled back. An elderly woman's face had formed in a knoll on the trunk, blinking at him in mild surprise.

"So many new faces! Step closer, all of you, my eyes aren't what they used to be," she declared. "Pocahontas, who are these?" Her eyes focused on Terra. "I certainly recognize _you_."

The aforementioned Keyblader shuffled to stand almost nervously behind Aqua.

"Grandmother," began Pocahontas. "These are my friends, Ven, Aqua, and John Smith." She pointed to each of them in turn.

"Step closer, step closer," repeated the tree. As all three of them did so, Grandmother Willow tittered to herself, "My, my, what handsome young faces on all of you. You all have good hearts."

"That tree is talking to me," John remarked in a rather stupefied way.

"Maybe you should say something back?" Pocahontas suggested with a sly smile.

"Uh…nice to meet you."

"Yeah!" Ven agreed as Aqua inclined her head respectfully.

"These are your friends, Terra?" Grandmother Willow queried.

"Yeah, they are."

Terra's short responses were intriguing, at least to Ven, and the blonde apprentice peeked at his friend with a question in his gaze. The brunette just shrugged.

_I think he's…shy? Uncomfortable? He's hard to read sometimes._

Grandmother Willow's eyes went wide. "What in heaven's name is _that_?"

Everyone turned as one to see, stumbling around in the shallows, some kind of moving log with white paws emerging from one end. Meeko the raccoon broke into chittering laughter, bouncing nimbly to the ground and pulling hard on the rotted trunk of the log. A small white dog, perhaps a pug, was revealed to be the animal behind the mask. He sat there, dazed for a bit, before barking furiously at Meeko. The raccoon stuck a tongue out.

"Percy?" John said disbelievingly.

"Ratcliffe's dog," Ven told the others in reply to their silent expressions of bewilderment.

"My word, we'll never get a bit of quiet in here at this rate," complained Grandmother Willow as Percy chased Meeko around her. As Percy passed her face, she yelled, "_Quiet_!"

Percy yelped sharply before freezing in fright and keeling over on the spot.

"Great. You killed him," Terra joked, crouching along with John to see if the dog was okay.

Ven grinned, and then grew serious. "The settlers are looking for gold," he said. "Do the natives really have any?"

"Gold?" Pocahontas shook her head. "John already asked me. We don't have any of gold."

"That's not good. They seemed ready to kill over it."

The native looked uncomfortable, as if he had brought something rather bad up.

"Bad tidings have been going through the forest as of late," Grandmother Willow warned. "The winds of war are blowing…"

"We might need to stick around after all," murmured Aqua thoughtfully.

"We can't let a fight start!" Ven thought of all the technological achievements he had seen in the settlers' camp. He guessed that, judging by Pocahontas's ancestral garb, her tribe didn't have the same sort of stuff as they did. It could be a massacre.

_Would_ be, for both sides, surely.

"Ven, Terra," Aqua announced, earning their attention. "I'm going to go back to the Powhatan village."

"Why?" Terra asked, arms crossed.

"I want to see if I can stop this war. By talking." She bit her lip. "After that, I'll go talk to the settlers."

"Aqua…" Ven knew how much she _hated_ the "backwards worlds" as she called them, but she needed to know. "We're in another one of those…um…you know…"

Her azure gaze narrowed.

"The settlers don't take magic well either. Burn the witches and all of that nonsense," stated Terra in an even tone. "So…I'll go talk to the settlers. You talk to the tribe. We'll meet back here later, okay?"

"What about me?" Ven demanded. "I want to help too!" He looked from one of his friends to the other accusingly.

"Come with me," Terra invited with a shrug. "You know the settlers after all."

"I'll come with you too," John volunteered.

"I'll go with Aqua then. When the sun sets, we'll meet here?" Pocahontas suggested.

"Sounds good." Aqua nodded.

Grandmother Willow just watched them calmly, her wise eyes taking everything in.

~*X*~

"What do you mean the natives don't have any gold?" One settler exclaimed.

"That's impossible!"

"They're lying."

"We didn't come all this way fer nothin', did we?"

They were back at the settlers' camp, and the Europeans weren't taking the news of no gold in Virginia well. John Smith was trying to placate them, but they were either convinced that the tribe was lying or that there really was gold, just buried.

"This is all nonsense," snorted Governor Ratcliffe with contempt in his booming voice. His dark eyes bore into John's as the blonde stared unflinchingly back. "Of _course_ there's gold here! The savages are just—"

"They aren't lying!" Ven shouted, growing cross with the adamant men of the Virginia Company.

"That's just what they _want_ you to think," growled Ratcliffe in reply.

One meek young man named Thomas ventured fearfully, "But what if they _are_ telling the truth?"

Ratcliffe rounded on him, but John interrupted him before he could start. "Why won't you listen to reason?"

"I am listening to reason! This is perfectly _sound_ reason! There's gold here, and those bloody savages are guarding it! Keeping it from us!"

Terra snapped, "We might as well leave, these idiots aren't going to listen."

Several indignant bellows sounded from the crowd, but Terra turned his back fearlessly and marched out, followed by an infuriated Ven and an annoyed John Smith.

They griped about the stubborn stupidity of the Englishmen as they made their way back to Grandmother Willow. Ven found that he was beginning to memorize the layout of the forest, at least in this area, and he led the way as they skid down hillsides and walked past fields of golden sunflowers taller than he was. A pair of falcons passed by overhead, and John followed their flight with a pensive expression.

Pocahontas and Aqua were already there, and instead of walking straight to Grandmother Willow, the group contented themselves by merely sitting down on the far left of her, finding various perches on her upraised roots.

Aqua listened to what the boys had to say about the settlers, shaking her head as her blue tresses swayed. The sun painted the sky an eerie lavender as it dipped towards the horizon. "It can't be helped, I guess. The tribe is willing to make peace, however."

"They still think the white men are dangerous though," warned Pocahontas with a dire tone.

"They're right. These guys are stuck in their beliefs." Terra tapped his fingers against his head. "Now…what to do."

Everyone sighed. They started tossing ideas back and forth, but nothing seemed to really be plausible. The party was becoming more irritable by the second, though all of their irritation was directed towards their predicament.

"I have to go," John said at last. "It's late, and they'll be out looking for me soon." As he stood to leave, he and Pocahontas walked a short distance away and whispered to each other before embracing. Aqua, Terra, and Ven smiled—

—Until a wild whoop made the Keybearers jump up in fright.

Ven's eyes widened as a tribal warrior wielding a tomahawk jumped from the bushes, scaring even Meeko and Percy. Flit the hummingbird vanished into thin air in the blink of an air. John caught the warrior's arms, succeeding in stopping the attack, but his struggle was becoming more and more desperate as he sought to keep his attacker off of him.

Pocahontas shouted what he presumed was the warrior's name—Kocoum—and tried to stop him, but he shoved her roughly back. The Keybearers were frozen, unsure what to do, but they didn't have the time to react even if they wanted to.

Everything was happening so fast…!

With a concussive _bang_, a bullet whizzed out and struck Kocoum in the chest. He let out one breath, long and slow, his eyes meeting Pocahontas's as he extended a hand. He ended up gripping her blue beaded necklace, ripping it from her throat as he fell with a splash into the shallows.

John limped to his feet as the petrified apprentices trembled in shock. Thomas, the timid settler from earlier, was standing nearby with a rifle in his shaking hands. "Thomas!" John shouted angrily, ignoring his own bruises.

"I…he was…I thought…"

"Go!" John ordered sharply, and Thomas practically tripped over himself in his haste to obey.

Aqua was the first to snap out of her trance. She pounded to Kocoum's side as Pocahontas cradled his body, and she pressed a hand over his chest. Ven and Terra walked up with fearful looks.

"I'm…" All of the fire left the female disciple's blue eyes. "I'm so sorry. He's gone."

Tears were running down the tribal woman's face, but again, things got increasingly complicated.

More native warriors came out of the forest, circling them with anger radiating from each and every one. They bound and gagged John, but all they did to the Keybearers was push them harshly away as they lifted Kocoum from Pocahontas's grip and hauled John behind them.

"Wait!" Terra objected. "It's not what you—"

An old man at the back of the group stopped. He turned and wheezed, "Because you are not from this world, you are excused. I recommend you _leave_." With that, he followed his fellows with Pocahontas already having had long disappeared with them.

Ven felt his throat burn terribly and his eyes water. Someone had died. Right there. And he hadn't done a thing. Aqua pulled him into a soothing hug, and Terra ruffled his hair, though all of their hearts were aching in horror.

"We can't leave," Ven whimpered."W-We have to stay and help Pocahontas and J-John."

"Right," Terra's voice was reassuringly strong. "We will."

"I promise," Aqua added. "Pocahontas will be back, I'm certain. Let's…let's wait for her."

They all went to sit under the knoll that became Grandmother Willow's face, and though the old tree didn't say a word, Ven could feel her sorrow.

Winds of war indeed.

~*X*~

Ven groaned, opening his eyes and realizing that he had fallen asleep between Aqua and Terra, who were on either side of him. Their conversation died the instant he made a sound.

"Is…Is Pocahontas…?"

"She's coming," Grandmother Willow answered the blonde Keyblader with a sigh. "She has much on her mind. Kocoum was her fiancé—or would be, if her father had his way."

"Oh." Ven scratched his hair, swallowing emptily as the ivy parted. Pocahontas came in, with Flit over her head whilst Percy and Meeko trotted at her sides, tails lowered.

"What am I supposed to do?" Pocahontas whispered dejectedly. "They're going to war."

"Yeah. We thought they would. When?" Terra asked, not unkindly.

"Dawn. They're going to kill John." Her voice cracked, and Aqua stood to pat her on the back.

Pocahontas took out the brass compass, holding it in her hands like a sacred artifact. She tapped its clear front absently, brow furrowed.

"Everyone. Look." Grandmother Willow lifted a tendril of her ivy. "See this ripple?" She tapped the surface of the water, and a ripple flowed outwards. "So small at first. But see how it grows! But _someone_ has to start it."

"Too bad that compass doesn't point the right way in life," Ven lamented.

Pocahontas opened her mouth, perhaps to agree, when suddenly her eyes flew open wide. "That's it…the arrow…the arrow from my dreams!"

"What?" Terra, naturally.

"What do you mean?" Aqua studied the compass as if it was magical. Maybe it was.

An unexpected wind blew, hard and strong, directing everyone's hair northward as the compass's arrow spun wildly before pointing straight forward.

"You know where you must go; now you must take it!" Grandmother Willow urged as the first red tints of dawn dyed the horizon scarlet.

Pocahontas took off like a bullet, and after exchanging shocked glances, the Keybearers followed. Ven knew that Aqua and Terra would likely be left behind—Pocahontas ran as if she had the wings of an eagle—but the blonde apprentice ran like he had the paws of a wolf, and he kept up as they leaped gaps and pelted down hills.

Even _he_ was beginning to breathe hard as the wind pushed fiercely behind him, as if seeking to goad him _faster and faster_ until his lungs burst from the effort.

Some of the settlers? He really liked them. They seemed like good people. He didn't want any of them _or_ the Powhatans to die in some pointless battle over fictional gold.

Kocoum's death flashed before his eyes, and he grimaced.

At last, they cleared an incline and Ven beheld the scene before him and Pocahontas.

Settlers, armed for combat, were standing with their backs to a thin strand of trees. Ratcliffe, clad in black armor, was at their head. The natives—they had called more tribes in, and their ranks had swelled—were on a small upraised rock cliff. A man that was undoubtedly the Powhatan chieftain was raising a club over a bound John Smith's head, ready to smash it in.

Pocahontas pushed swiftly through several warriors and flung her arms over her beloved's body. "No! If you kill him, you'll have to kill me too."

"Daughter, _stand back_," her father commanded.

"No! I won't! I love him, father." Pocahontas said this while staring her father in the eyes. He gaped at her.

Terra and Aqua finally arrived, and Ven raised a hand to stop them from intervening. She likely didn't need any help. _Everyone_ was gawking at the sight before them.

"Look around you," Pocahontas continued in a clear, strong voice. "This is where the path of hatred has brought us."

The warriors and settlers shifted their feet uncomfortably, both archers and gunmen.

She lowered her head and hugged John even tighter, eyes slipping closed for a moment. "This is the path I choose, father. What will yours be?"

Chief Powhatan gazed around, his eyes finding Aqua's, then Terra's, then Ven's. He moved on, surveying everything as the heavens acquired a pinkish glow. The wind returned, vibrant and pleasant, carrying multicolored leaves with it that stroked Ven's skin as they passed.

Holding his staff high, he declared, "My daughter speaks with wisdom beyond her years. We all came with anger in our hearts, but she came with courage and understanding. From this day forward, if there is to be more fighting, it will not begin with me. Release him."

Someone cut John free, and Ven resisted the impulse to cheer or clap as John and Pocahontas embraced one another tightly, the love in their eyes something he had never truly seen.

_What a miracle!_

Then—"Now's our chance! Fire!" Ratcliffe shouted, drawing his sword.

"No!" Thomas cried.

"What?" snarled the Governor.

"They let him go!" agreed another settler. "They don't want to fight!"

He stared wildly at his troops, but no one made an effort to move. Snatching a gun, he snapped, "Fine! I'll settle this myself!"

John moved, fast as lightning. "No!" Pushing the Chief out of the way, he took the bullet and collapsed on his side as blood spilled out from his shirt. Pocahontas and everyone else gasped in horror, and she hurriedly went to his side.

Aqua went to help him, whilst Terra and Ven glared daggers at Ratcliffe. "How could he?" Ven shouted, flummoxed and angry.

Terra growled deep in his throat as the settlers yelled accusations at Ratcliffe and circled him.

"We don't need to do anything," the brunette noted satisfactorily as the Governor was tied up by his own men. Ven turned as Aqua rejoined them, her expression confused.

"What's wrong, Aqua?" The blonde inquired.

"Pocahontas told me I shouldn't heal him."

"Why in the world not?" Terra exclaimed.

She shrugged. "This world…the natives take magic better than the settlers. If John got healed, his people…they might…they're superstitious."

"Is he going to die, though?"

"No. He'll live." Aqua smiled and said gently, "I think it's time for us to go."

_I guess we could end up causing even _more_ trouble if word gets out that John was healed by witches. Or something. Stupid Keyblade world order policy…_

"This was just exasperating. There was no reason for us to even _be_ here." Terra complained.

"I'm glad we were, though. We made some new friends!" Ven grinned, earning a laugh from his companions.

Pocahontas had overheard, and she came to them as John was picked up by the settlers to take to their camp. "Are you leaving?"

"Yes," Aqua told her.

She smiled. "Thank you, for being there. I'm glad I got to meet you." She lifted an arm and moved it slowly over her head. "_Wingapo_."

"Excuse me?" Terra.

"It means _hello_. And good bye."

"I like hello better." Ven performed the action anyway, as did the rest.

"Will you be coming back?"

"Hopefully. When we finish our training. Right?" The blonde asked his friends.

"That's right," agreed Terra. "Now let's get home before Master Eraqus throws a fit."

~*X*~

Back at the Land of Departure, Master Eraqus frowned as they told him their story. "I'm grateful that you're safe," he told his beloved students. "However, what worries me is that force that sent you off course to begin with. Such unusual activity lately…" Shaking his head, he added, "You should all get some rest. We'll speak more about this tomorrow."

As the Keyblader trio climbed the stairs up to their room, they chatted. "Would that be the power of true love, or something?" Ven inquired.

"I believe so," Aqua replied slowly. "She saved him. And he saved her father. I hope it all turns out well."

Terra stopped at the peak of the stairs. "We all love each other, right?" He remarked without facing them.

Ven and Aqua blushed bright red.

"As _friends_," Terra sighed, smirking over his shoulder.

"Yeah!" Ven shouted excitedly, pumping a fist into the air.

"Good. Then if you love me, the both of you will shut up so I can get some sleep." Terra ran off laughing as his shocked-then-indignant friends chased him down the golden halls of their home-world.

* * *

_Author's Note: This is it, guys. The last of it, before Birth by Sleep comes out in America, just like I planned. Still dedicated to Dani-Chan, as so intended, and expect more Birth by Sleep stories once I get the game and finish it. I probably screwed their personalities up._

_To everyone's whose ideas I didn't use: I'm sorry, but most of it was due to the fact that I haven't seen every Disney film, such as the Hunchback of Notre Dame. My apologies._

_This Pocahontas thing really couldn't be edited much without messing up the main point of the movie!_

_Thank you all SO much for reading, alerting, faving, and what not. I honestly mean it. Mayhap I'll do an epilogue if I get the time, so I can properly end this. _


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